Work planned to cut sewage plant smells

Yorkshire Water is to install a 3.25m odour control unit at its waste water plant in Saltend, near Hedon, where residents have long complained about unpleasant smells coming from the site.

The unit is expected to be completed by December next year and will give the company a further two odour-treatment systems to add to the one already in place.

Yorkshire Water chief executive Richard Flint took Beverley and Holderness MP Graham Stuart on a tour of the site to explain the company's plans for tackling the problem, but conceded it could not eradicate the smells.

Mr Flint said: "We were delighted to welcome Mr Stuart to the works and hope the tour we gave him helped convey just how committed we are to tackling the problems of odours at the site.

"Due to the sheer size and nature of the works it's likely that there will always be some odour, but we're confident that our carefully considered investment will ensure we meet industry standards.

"I'd also like to say thank you to our customers in the area. We recognise the site has had its problems and they've shown a huge amount of patience whilst we've been working on solutions.

"Now we are in position to make a positive difference and that's exactly what we intend to do."

The firm is taking other steps to limit the smells.

These include carrying out regular inspections, including carbon sampling to predict potential changes alongside regular maintenance of the current odour control unit.

The plant treats 40 million gallons of waste water every day, including a complex mix of trade effluent, before discharging the water into the River Humber.

Passing motorists and people living near the site and have complained for years about the stench, and were told when the site opened eight years ago it would be "odour free".

Mr Stuart, whose constituents have been affected, said this had been a mistake but he was satisfied with the steps now being taken.

He said: "There's no such thing as odourless sewage and when Yorkshire Water suggested it could be odourless that was a mistake which caused additional annoyance to people who already have to suffer the smell.

"I'm happy that they are, from the top of the company, committed to reducing that and by putting in this second unit they will move from one stream of odour treatment to three, so when they need to do maintenance or repairs they will be able to channel the sewage into one of the others.

"Therefore we can hope the odours will be much reduced in the future.

"I'm satisfied Yorkshire Water are now taking this seriously and trying to do the right thing."