Yorkshire Water says it is 'three-quarters of the way' through a £27.8 million programme to reduce storm overflow discharges.

The scheme, which spans 41 wastewater treatment sites, is projected to add more than 13,000m3 of storm water storage capacity to the network by April 2025.

The projects within the scheme include a £3 million investment at Esholt to increase capacity there by 6,000m3.

Storm tanks operate to slow the flow of wastewater and reduce the need for overflows into watercourses for as long as possible, explained a spokesperson.

Discharges only occur once storm tanks have become full to protect homes and businesses from flooding.

Flows retained by the storm tanks are returned to the treatment works for full treatment once the rainfall event has passed.

By increasing the capacity in these tanks, it is hoped that the incidence of storm overflows, and their impact on the environment, will be reduced.

Of the 41 projects, 24 are in North Yorkshire, seven in West Yorkshire, four in the East Riding, and four in South Yorkshire.

Two of the projects are in Derbyshire.

One of the latest projects to be completed has been the £350,000 installation of a storm water storage tank at Shipton wastewater treatment works, in North Yorkshire.

David Hobman, project manager at Yorkshire Water, said: "Our project partners – Peter Duffys, Seymour, Stonbury, and Barhale – are helping us to make brilliant progress with our storm tank storage scheme.

"We're 75 per cent of the way through, with watercourses across the county seeing the benefit already."

The programme is reportedly in addition to a further £180m investment to reduce storm overflow use and improve water quality in the region's rivers by April 2025.

Yorkshire Water is planning an investment between 2025 and 2030 that would include £1 billion to reduce the impact of overflows.