Yorkshire Water has announced a 24.5 percent decrease in storm discharges across the region in 2025, with significant local improvements recorded in Whitby and Pickering.
The number of discharges into watercourses in Yorkshire decreased by 24.5 percent in 2025 when compared to the previous twelve months.
According to Yorkshire Water, overall regional discharges fell from 68,164 to 51,404. Furthermore, the total duration of the discharges into watercourses fell from 430,263 hours to 285,230 hours, representing a decrease of 33.7 percent.
The average number of discharges per storm overflow also decreased from 31.4 in 2024 to 23.6 in 2025. This follows a previous 12 percent reduction in discharges recorded in 2024.
On the Yorkshire Coast, targeted investments have yielded significant local improvements, particularly in Whitby and Pickering.
An £835,000 investment at the Marton Bridge Combined Sewer Overflow near Pickering was utilised to separate and divert rainwater from the wastewater network. This intervention successfully reduced discharges into the River Seven to zero in 2025, compared to twenty-four discharges in 2021.
Meanwhile, a £1.3 million investment at the Esplanade Whitby Combined Sewer Overflow diverted rainwater from properties and surface water from highways directly into the sea, rather than combining it with wastewater. This major project has resulted in a 75 percent reduction in discharges.
Looking ahead, Yorkshire Water has confirmed that more than 450 storm overflows will receive further investment by April 2030. This upcoming programme will include essential upgrades at wastewater treatment works in both Scarborough and Bridlington.
The company states that the work will build on the success of recent investments and aims to continually bring down storm overflow discharges throughout the region.
Richard Stuart, director of asset delivery and engineering at Yorkshire Water, said:
"A reduction in the number and duration of discharges across the region in 2025 is a positive. The dry weather in 2025 contributed to the reduction, but we also saw above average rainfall in the region in January, September, November and December. Our £180m investment over the last two years targeted over 100 storm overflows and is delivering a reduction in storm overflows across the region.
Some of the work as part of this investment was completed in early 2025, so we are yet to see the full benefit during an entire 12-month period, but we are seeing the investment beginning to make an impact. Of course, there is more to do and we’re underway with a further £1.5bn investment to continue tackling the performance of storm overflows."
He added:
"We know we need to continue driving down the number of discharges to our rivers and seas and we’re committed to delivering those improvements over the next few years and beyond. By April 2030 we will invest £1.5bn to upgrade and improve more than 450 storm overflows, tackling those discharging the most frequently, for the longest time and those that have a significant impact on the receiving watercourse.
As we complete more investment this year and over the period to 2030, we will see the improvements we’ve already made begin to scale up and we will continue to report our performance transparently so people can hold us accountable. We have also significantly improved collaboration between all stakeholders interested in river health and will continue to work closely with organisations that want improvements to be made to our region’s watercourses.
As well as the major infrastructure work completed in recent years and what’s to come by 2030, our teams are out and about across Yorkshire every day carrying out activity to improve the operation and efficiency of our networks to continuously reduce the discharges to our region’s watercourses."
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