Work starts on £16m city water scheme

The new works at Acomb Landing will replace the current facility which has provided drinking water to city residents since 1846.

Over the years, the site has been extended to meet supply and water quality standards, but ageing equipment has meant that the treatment process is especially labour-intensive and since 1999 the plant’s capacity has been downsized, only two of the four treatment streams being currently operational.

The new treatment works will not only be able to treat more water – around 35 million litres every day, equivalent to 14 Olympic swimming pools full of water – but it will also boast treatment facilities which will ensure it exceeds stringent water quality standards.

In particular the work will ensure that the new plant complies with the European Freshwater Fisheries Habitat Directive which relates to the protection of fresh water fish and the screening required to prevent such species being accidentally pulled into the treatment works as water is abstracted from the River Ouse.

The work, which is being carried out by contractors Earth Tech Morrison, will consist of building a new plant and access road along with a high voltage electricity sub-station and a pump control panel kiosk.

Claire Glavina of Yorkshire Water said: “This investment, which is part of £1.9bn programme of spending we’re undertaking across the region over the next four years to further improve our clean and waste water treatment facilities, further underlines our commitment to ensuring residents of York continue to benefit from some of the highest quality drinking water in the world.

“An enormous amount of planning and care has gone into ensuring we have the ideal solution in place to not only benefit customers but also to ensure we continue to meet increasingly tough drinking water standards.”