Services A-Z
Acute Sewage and Flooding Problems Plague Residents
The Parish Council was very concerned about the serious sewage and flooding issues residents experienced back in March 2021, which rear their heads again whenever it rains heavily.
Back in March we escalated the matter to senior executives at Yorkshire Water (YW), as this is the organisation responsible for providing an adequate sewerage system for the village. YW representatives have been out multiple times in the last few months. When the sewage floods were at their worst, they spent a very intensive period using ‘vactors’ to suck water and sewage out of the overloaded sewer pipes.
Obviously, the water table was exceptionally high in March, which means the problems that we were facing were very acute. The surface water was draining into the sewers, which caused them to overload.
As our climate changes and we get more rain, the drains and sewerage system in Newbald are generally proving totally inadequate.
NPC has been campaigning for both short term emergency measures and long-term remedial action to be carried out. Yorkshire Water has now carried out a comprehensive investigation – using cameras to look inside the sewers and ascertain where the main problems are. As a result they have now committed to spending £500k on lining the sewer to prevent the ingress of groundwater. They maintain that this will prevent the system being overloaded. This investment should take place in Autumn 2021 but at the very latest by the end of the financial year.
We have also spoken to ERYC, our Ward Councillors and Graham Stuart MP, not just about what is going on with the sewage now, but also about the flooding more generally.
It will help if we can demonstrate the extent of public unhappiness when we do experience sewage floods and back ups in drains. Please take the time to report to YW how you are being impacted on 0345 1242424. You could also contact Ofwat (Ofwat.gov.uk) and CCW (ccwater.org.uk) as they can bring pressure to bear on YW. The Environment Agency is keen to hear about any sewage leaks into the beck. Please let them know on 0800 807060.
Many thanks to Cllr. Beccy O’Sullivan, Cllr. John Howard, Cllr. Jack Marshall and other members of the community for their hard work lobbying on the village’s behalf. Jack set up a Whatsapp group for residents to share relevant information. Here is the link. https://chat.whatsapp.com/LeDe4EQJi1o5EmZR5hP4K8.
NPC will continue to hold Yorkshire Water and East Riding of Yorkshire Council to account. We will not rest until a long term solution to this is implemented.
We are also working with other parish councils as part of the multi-agency group ‘West Wolds Slow the Flow’, which is looking at ways to prevent flooding more generally.
https://westwoldsslowtheflow.org.uk/
Newbald featured on the local news (Look North and Calendar), as well as in the press in relation to this issue. See the links below.
