£1m investment under way to upgrade port sewerage system

Yorkshire Water and its contract partners Mott MacDonald Bentley said yesterday work was progressing well on a 750,000 project to repair a stretch of sewage pipe running under the harbour.

Work is also continuing on Yorkshire Water's 350,000 project to build a computerised 3D model of the entire Whitby sewage system, which is expected to be complete by the end of 2011.

The pipe repairs, expected to take up to 20 weeks, are now in their third week, as technicians work to strengthen the pipe and protect it from the tidal forces that have weakened it over the last 10 years.

In August 2008, the pipe leaked raw sewage for three days, forcing the closure of Tate Hill Beach, following the mechanical breakdown of the Endeavour Wharf pumping station.

Now the pipe is being sealed in concrete before a structural liner is added to the inside of the pipe to reinforce it. Technicians have so far reinforced and encased a 15ft length, and are hoping to complete a similar section every week.

The sewerage asset manager at Yorkshire Water, Miles Cameron, said: "We're delighted with how things are progressing so far and would like to say a big thank you to local residents and visitors to Whitby for all their patience and support.

"Their goodwill and help has enabled us to make good progress and we want to reassure them that we'll continue to work hard to ensure that we complete the work as quickly as possible with the minimum amount of disruption."

A Yorkshire Water spokesman said: "The key thing is we are investing in the sewage system to improve and enhance it, make it safer and better fit for purpose. Some temporary work was done at the time to check and reseal the joints.

"But they were temporary measures, and this is the long-term solution. I believe it was this pipe under the harbour which did leak in a number of places in 2008.

"Historically, it's a pipe we have had problems with. Not many of our pipes are subject to tidal forces and exposed in such a way as this one. We think we have got absolutely the right solution for the pipe and the one which will protect it in the long-term."

Prior to the work beginning on the harbour, Yorkshire Water held a special forum with local business owners, residents and other key stakeholders.

The aim was to discuss the problems in the harbour and the work it is carrying out in Whitby, with the company planning to stage a second update meeting on August 20.

"The forum was really useful in enabling us to properly communicate our plans and address any concerns that attendees might have," Mr Cameron said.

"With work now well under way, we're planning on staging a second forum to provide a further update and learn of any new concerns from local representatives and act on these as appropriate."

Yorkshire Water has underlined its intention not to work under the harbour during the Whitby Regatta and Whitby Folk Week in order to ensure it does not disrupt these hugely popular events in any way.