Work begins to reduce canal sewage spills
Yorkshire Water has launched a £2m project to reduce sewage overflowing into the Huddersfield Broad Canal when it rains.
Work includes the construction of a new surface water sewer and redirecting highways drains.
It is expected the project, due to be completed by November, will reduce spills into the canal by 61%.
Yorkshire Water project manager Omair Khan said the scheme was just a "small part of a £180m investment" across the region.
'Keep disruption to a minimum'
The new surface water sewer, constructed on green space on Oak Road, Bradley, will also take rainfall from the roofs of nearby properties.
The surface water and rainfall will be discharged directly to the watercourse without being combined with waste water.
Earlier this year, a new sewer was built in Ilkley to halve the amount of waste flowing into the River Wharfe during heavy rainfall.
Part of the River Wharfe was granted official bathing water status in 2021.
The 2,739 ft (835m) long pipe cost £15m and took 16 months to build.
In Bradley, a section of the road has had to be closed because of the new works, with diversions in place.
Mr Khan said: "Traffic islands will be removed to allow two lanes on Bradley Road to minimise disruption during the work and will be reinstated once complete.
"Additionally, some of the work will require traffic lights but we and our contract partners will be working quickly to keep disruption to a minimum."
He added: "We have also submitted plans to Ofwat to invest more than £1bn to further reduce overflows across the region between 2025 and 2030.”
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