Yorkshire Water admits £1.5m Ripon storm overflow scheme fell short

A £1.5m scheme designed to reduce storm overflow discharges into North Yorkshire rivers has not worked as expected, Yorkshire Water has admitted.

Storm overflow reductions below target

When the investment in Ripon’s River Oure was announced in 2024, Yorkshire Water said the scheme would reduce problems by around 75%.

However, the number of recorded spills from the Clock Tower Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO), near the Ripon Bypass Bridge, fell from 75 in 2021 to 43 in 2025. That represents a reduction of approximately 43%.

The company described the results as “disappointing”, while stressing that differences in rainfall can make comparisons between individual years difficult.

“This has been a particularly dry year and this will have further contributed to the reduction in discharges,” a Yorkshire Water spokesperson said.

“So, although there were reductions, it is unfortunate that this plan did not work as expected.”

What are combined sewer overflows?

Combined sewer overflows are designed as pressure relief points on sewer networks that carry both wastewater and stormwater.

During heavy rain, overloaded sewers can discharge into waterways to prevent wastewater backing up into homes, businesses and roads.

These releases may be permitted by the Environment Agency under certain circumstances.