Yorkshire Water apologises after Leeds properties hit by flooding
The issue was caused by “multiple misconnections”
Yorkshire Water has issued an apology to Leeds residents hit by flooding, following work to tackle pollution in a nearby beck.
Grimes Dyke Beck, located between Swarcliffe and Whinmoor, was polluted with wastewater last weekend after a blockage saw wastewater sent to the surface water network.
The issue was caused by “multiple misconnections” from nearby properties, a spokesperson for Yorkshire Water explained.
“After investigations into potential pollution into Grimes Dyke Beck in LS14, we found multiple misconnections from nearby properties, in which wastewater was incorrectly plumbed into the surface water network, which typically takes rainwater straight to watercourses and bypasses any treatment,” they said.
“We also cleared a blockage in the network, though this was a minor contributor.”
Explaining flooding on Tuesday, the water company said that part of the mitigation process for stopping the pollution was by placing stoppers into the surface water network and tankering the water out.
Unfortunately, a heavy downpour meant the tanker was unable to keep up with the incoming volume of surface water and this lead to flooding from the network.
Apologising for the issues, Yorkshire Water said that they will be meeting with local councillors to discuss next steps.
“On Tuesday, the tanker we were using to mitigate the pollution by taking flows from the surface water sewer was overwhelmed following sudden and heavy rainfall. Our colleagues stayed on site overnight to monitor and mitigate the situation where possible,” the spokesperson added.
“We apologise for the inconvenience, and are arranging a meeting with local councillors to discuss the event and look at potential next steps, as we understand that there are historic issues with flooding in this location.”
Homeowners are being reminded to rectify misconnections on their private pipework as soon as possible to prevent any further impact on the watercourse.
Yorkshire Water recently announced the construction of two more storm overflow projects in Temple Newsam and Armley - which form part of a £1.5bn investment to reduce the number of discharges and will see additional storage built into the sewer network.