Yorkshire Water Fixes Faulty Scarborough Sewer Monitor Following Erroneous Spill Reports

Yorkshire Water has reassured residents that a faulty monitoring device at a combined sewer overflow station in Scarborough, which incorrectly reported discharges, has been repaired.

Yorkshire Water has issued reassurances that a faulty monitoring device at a combined sewer overflow station in Scarborough has been repaired after it falsely indicated that sewage was spilling into the sea.

The company's interactive live storm overflow map had been showing erroneous discharges from the Holbeck Hill site, prompting concerns from residents on social media.

Combined sewer overflows are pressure relief points within the wastewater network designed to manage excess flows during heavy rainfall, preventing the system from backing up into homes and streets. However, the company acknowledges that these discharges can impact water quality.

Miles Cameron, Manager of Strategic Partnerships for Bathing Water at Yorkshire Water, explained that an inspection of the Holbeck Hill site revealed a physical obstruction was causing the false readings.

Miles Cameron said:

"We had a particular concern about an asset called Holbeck Hill. It was one that was numerously reported on social media as spilling and that in fact was a faulty instrument. It was fixed I'm pleased to say.

These monitors are effectively sitting in a large chamber. And in this instance, a Holbeck Hill you have what they call step irons, access irons into a chamber and what the engineers found, there was a particular large piece of protruding metal was interfering with the signal. It's simple as that. Something as daft and as simple as that has caused, I guess breakdown trust, suggested the CSO spilling when it isn't. That's now been removed and remedied."

The water company is currently undertaking a major investment programme across the Yorkshire Coast to improve river health and bathing water quality.

Around £120 million is being invested in Scarborough between 2025 and 2030 to reduce spills and upgrade the local sewage treatment works. This forms part of a wider £238.5 million investment across Scarborough and Whitby, covering fifty-four projects.

Further down the coast, investment is also planned for Bridlington, targeting sites including Bessingby Road, Hilderthorpe Road, and Sands Lane, as part of a £252 million coastal capital expenditure programme.

Under the Environment Act 2021, storm overflow discharges near coastal bathing waters must be reduced to an average of two per season by 2035.

Currently, bathing water quality classifications vary across the region. Whitby is rated as Excellent, and Filey is rated as Good. However, Scarborough North Bay is classified as Sufficient, while Scarborough South Bay is currently rated as Poor.

Addressing the importance of accurate data and maintaining public confidence in the monitoring systems, Miles Cameron noted that the company is held to strict standards by the Environment Agency.

Miles Cameron said:

"Where we do pick up on issues like that, we will get them resolved, we'll continue to monitor that and take the learning of course, because that's a that's a technical issue you can design out effectively.

The regulations are such through the environment agency and OFWAT those instruments must be available over 95% of the time. They should be 100% available, but there's a tolerance in there for maintenance. So again, we're held to account to making sure those instruments do work.

So things like Holbeck Hill, they need calling out. They've been addressed, that has been remedied. And that's again about building that trust and making sure that when you look at data, when you look at this map, you've got the assurance that what it's telling you is is is correct."

The live reporting from the CSO stations can be seen on this map.

Yorkshire Water is continuing to run public consultation sessions in Scarborough to shape how the local investment is delivered, with drop-in events taking place at Scarborough Library and through a digital platform.

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