Multi-Million Pound Plan For Hull Waste Water Treatment Works
It's as Yorkshire Water look to combat the problem of bad smells coming from their site at Saltend.
Yorkshire Water has announced plans for a multi-million pound investment programme to help deal with bad smells in Hull and at their Saltend waste water treatment works.
Residents in Hedon have been complaining about bad odours coming from the Saltend site and today a protest was held outside the plant.
People we spoke to say they're "sick to the death" of this "recurring problem" and want Yorkshire Water to tackle it once and for all.
Yorkshire Water have now confirmed they are working to tackle the issue - announcing a major investment project in their Hull Waste Water Treatment Works.
Charlie Haysom, Yorkshire Water Director of Service Delivery said:
"First and foremost we would like to apologise for the very real inconvenience our waste water treatment works at Saltend has caused people in the surrounding areas. We are announcing a root and branch review of every aspect of the works. This will likely lead to a major investment to transform the way that site operates and the capacity of volumes is can cope with.
We have previously said we would invest in improving performance at the site and we have been true to our word. In the last five years we have invested £10.5 million in Hull Waste Water Treatment Works including £3.5 million on a new odour control unit.
The plant is now working at optimum capacity and there have been significant improvements. Where previously we used to receive complaints about odours all year round, now they are limited largely to six to eight weeks a year. But this is still unacceptable.
It is clear that the works cannot cope with the volumes it receives during the peak load period. In the last two weeks we have received up to 125% of the design capacity, more than we have ever received at one time before. Of course this has had a dramatic effect on odours.
Tomorrow we will be meeting with key local stakeholders to talk them through this investment and we will be engaging with the community throughout this work."