Contract partners, Ward & Burke, will start work to create a new underground storm tank to hold excess wastewater and reduce storm overflows discharging into the river Dearne during periods of prologued and excessive rainfall.

The programme immediately follows a £180 million investment over the past two years, which has helped to reduce storm overflows discharging into watercourses by 12% in 2024, compared to 2023.

The upgrade is the first of a £95 million investment package to upgrade 28 Combined Sewer Overflows (CSO) across Barnsley - one of nearly five hundred separate schemes - to improve storage capacity across Yorkshire over the next five years.

Tom Broderick, senior project manager, Yorkshire Water, said:

“We made great strides in reducing the number of storm overflow incidences in the last year. But we know there is more to do, and we are working hard to make sure that we tackle storm overflows operating more often than we and our customers would like.

“This marks the first of 92 projects across South Yorkshire to bring down the number discharges over the next five years. It’s part of our largest ever environmental investment and we are really pleased to start this huge phase of work here in Darton, Barnsley.”

The new storage tank will hold up to a capacity of 190m3 of water - the equivalent of 1,266 bathtubs – holding the excess wastewater will reduce the number of overflows discharging into the river and help to improve water quality of the Dearne. Flows are sent for treatment once capacity in the network has returned to normal levels. The upgrade At Darton Church Street should be completed by May 2026.