Ritika Janiya
Hey, mates! There is something going in Eastmoor, Wakefield that is really, really important: Yorkshire Water is really doing very hard work to maintain rivers healthy and clean. They are involved in one very ambitious project costing them £4.9 million and preventing stormwater from overflowing into our rivers. Clean water for all! Here is the thing, and more inside on it .
What’s the problem?
When it rains too much, sometimes the water cannot be taken away. In Eastmoor, this results in overflows caused by storms. Whereby too much rainwater may find its way into the combined sewer system. This is bad for the river. Dirty water can spill where it shouldn’t into rivers such as the Calder because of this. That is, it’s not only fish and animals that might have been affected but even humans enjoying clean water.
What’s the Plan?
Yorkshire Water is implementing a number of enhancements for this issue. They have teamed up with Morrisons Water Services, who will begin work on Monday 16 September. This is what they have planned:
New Pipes: They are going to lay 950 meters of new surface water pipes on Parkhill Crescent and Parkhill Grove which will help them in proper management of the rainwater and not face overflow.
Baffle Gates : Three baffle gates will be installed. These shall help to reduce speed of flow in the water in the places it moves too fast. This lessens the tendency of the system getting overwhelmed.
Manholes and Gullies : 34 new manholes will be provided and 42 road gullies will be replaced and reconnected. It’s very important for perfect flowing of water, nothing stagnates inside.
Sustainable Solutions: Work on the second phase of the scheme will take place on Windmill Road. Here, they will lay 605 meters of new pipes and install 45 sustainable drainage system (SuDs) planters around Outwood Academy. The latter will not just look a treat but help regulate rainwater naturally. They will team up with the academy’s Garden Club for the most enchanting planting design works,
Why Do These Changes Matter?
Project sponsor Sarah Harper from Yorkshire Water went on to explain that this money was a part of an even bigger plan by saying: Yorkshire Water commits to spending £180 million by April 2025 to reduce storm overflows across the county. The project will reduce storm overflows going into the river Calder by 20% in times of rainfall compared to the numbers from 2021. That’s just fantastic!
There will be an increase in biodiversity by adding new planters and gardens to the area. This entails more plants and animals would also thrive, making the environment a healthy and vibrant one. And the beauty of the gardens will brighten up the area, making it a much nicer place to live.
What About the Traffic?
You may think of the traffic. As this activity is undertaken, there will inevitably be some road closures and changes. There will be three-way lights operating on Windhill Road and Park Lodge Lane from the junction. The lights will allow workers to be as safe as possible while they undertake their important work. Yorkshire Water is co-ordinating the work carefully with the local highways team to keep traffic disruption to a minimum.
And prior to the day of diversion or the day the roads open to traffic, we will be publishing notice to update the residents on the changes. So everybody will be aware of it and prepare their traveling plans.
So, this work will be hopefully accomplished by next April as well. Then, this problem of traffic jam may not affect us for a long time.
Let’s all be informed:
Yorkshire Water acknowledges that these changes would at times prove inconvenient. They assure everybody that they will continue doing their best to engage the community in everything going on. This is why updates about the status of the project are bound to be accompanied by the new change of traffic or road closure. By doing this, everyone is in the know and knows what to expect.
The Bigger Picture
This improvement work in Eastmoor is part of a sequence of improvements designed to improve the health of rivers and the coast. Yorkshire Water’s goal to reduce storm overflows and improve our sewers is very much one of healthier rivers and coastlines-a place of recreation for people as well as for wildlife.
What does this mean for you? Once the work is finished, you will be able to enjoy clearer water in the river Calder and a better environment in general. Furthermore, with the beautiful new gardens from Outwood Academy’s Garden Club, the area will be a prettier place to live.
