Sewage fungus in watercourse ‘left until the 11th hour’ by Yorkshire Water

The incident reported in November 2023 is one of five which led to Yorkshire Water being downgraded for its "unacceptable" environmental performance.

A Freedom of Information request revealed that the Environment Agency was notified of the thick, slimy growth along Howdendyke, a watercourse which takes storm discharges – rainwater and raw sewage - from the Broad Lane sewage pumping station.

The FOI adds: "This issue is ongoing, dependent on weather conditions".

Howden's Mayor Hugh Roberts said Yorkshire Water had known for years about the area’s creaking infrastructure and the problems it causes - but did nothing despite new houses being built. The town is now on the cusp of doubling in size, with 1,865 new homes planned.

Mr Roberts said when Broad Lane SPS can't cope, it cuts the two other pumping stations at Bellcross Lane and Treeton Road off and the sewage backs up through the flat network into peoples' gardens and toilets.

Over the last 18 months Yorkshire Water had been regularly tankering wastewater from Treeton Road PS - where one unfortunate householder gets it backing into his garden and sometimes his house, Mr Roberts said. Others have to fill buckets with water as they can't flush loos.

In July Yorkshire Water said they'd invest £6m in a new rising main between Broad Lane SPS and the wastewater treatment plant at Howdendyke. Work should be completed in December.

Mr Roberts said: "Howden has grown, but Yorkshire Water's infrastructure hasn't. They have tankers running around and blame the weather but they have never invested in the system until now. Everything is last minute or when it fails".

The FOI also described four other serious pollution incidents, including sewage from a damaged sewer running into a field and then Cockleshaw Beck, at East Bierley, Bradford in February 2023. "At least 700m of the beck’s invertebrate community had been impacted," it added.

The EA said they’d asked Yorkshire Water to make improvements following the Howden incident, and the £6m investment was “a critical first step toward achieving the necessary environmental standards”.

An investigation is ongoing, and the EA would hold firms accountable for pollution. This could mean taking enforcement action and could include prosecution.

Yorkshire Water said permitted discharges “unfortunately caused an impact on the watercourse due to a lack of flow” at the time of the incident.

Further investment is planned from 2025 to 2030 to increase capacity in the area. Tankers had been used on occasion at Treeton Road to prevent pollution “due to operational issues and high levels of groundwater”.

A spokesperson said: “The incidents were caused by extreme weather conditions but could be distressing for impacted customers.

"When this happens, we make every effort to resolve the situation as quickly as possible.”