MP voices fears over smells after fire at sewage works

A UTILITY company has been warned there will be “severe consequences for residents” if it fails to control odours following a fire at one of Europe’s biggest sewage works.

Firefighters spent an hour tackling a blaze at Yorkshire Water’s waste water treatment works at Saltend, near Hull, yesterday morning and local politicians fear it may lead to the release of unpleasant smells that blighted the lives of scores of residents two years ago.

But the company says the fire damaged an old odour control unit, not the larger £3.6m version installed in December 2011 in response to the problem.

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Beverley and Holderness MP Graham Stuart said the fire could have “severe consequences” for local people.

“I’m acutely aware that the pea harvest season is about to start, summer is here, people want to sit out in their gardens or have their windows open, and summer’s going to be ruined for many people if the odours increase because the old odour control unit has been destroyed,” he said.

Coun Mike Bryan, East Riding Council member for South West Holderness, said he was “bitterly disappointed” to learn of the fire but had been assured measures were being put in place to ensure smells did not escape.

Yorkshire Water said: “At this stage we do not know the extent of the damage or what impact, if any, this will have on our ability to control odours from the site.”

None of the 12 members of staff at the site was injured and the firm is now working with fire crews to investigate the cause of the blaze.

The plant treats 40m gallons of waste water every day.