Yorkshire Water announces progress on reducing storm overflow activity as new Environment Agency data shows sewage spills in Kirklees waterways in 2024
Storm overflow spill data released by the Environment Agency has shown how many times wastewater flowed into waterways in North Kirklees in 2024.
The data shows the spill counts and durations recorded by Event Duration Monitors (EDM).
A total of 68,164 spill events were recorded across the Yorkshire Water network in 2024, and the average number of spills per storm overflow was 31.4.
This was 9,595 total discharges less than in 2023 (a 12 per cent reduction), and a 17 per cent reduction in the amount of time Yorkshire Water discharged to watercourses.
In Kirklees, some of the EDMs that recorded a high number of spills compared to the rest of the area included, Warwick Road No 2 Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO), which spilt 70 times for 173.25 hours into Batley Beck; Morrisons Car Park CSO, near Heckmondwike, which spilt 59 times for 228.75 hours into the River Spen; and the Spenborough Sewage Pumping Station (SPS), which spilt 71 times for 686.5 hours into the River Calder and River Spen.
Yorkshire Water said the reduction in discharges in 2024 was as a result of both a drier year and investment into preventing discharges.
Nicola Shaw, CEO of Yorkshire Water, said: “We know overflows are operating more than we, or our customers, would like, but we’re pleased to begin to show progress on reducing storm overflow activity in our region.
“The reductions in discharges in 2024 resulted from both a drier year than 2023 and the hard work of our teams to deliver our £180m investment programme.”