Meadowhall: Yorkshire Water to spend £40m improving sewage works near Sheffield shopping centre

Yorkshire Water is spending £40m on its sewage works near Meadowhall to reduce a chemical that causes algal blooms and kills fish in rivers.

The firm says it has hired a contractor to cut phosphorus from treated water at Blackburn Meadows - close to the site of the former Tinsley cooling towers - before it is pumped back into the River Don. Sewage treatment will be diverted to Jordans Dam in Tinsley until December 2024, it adds.

Phosphorus enters the domestic water network from products such as shampoo and liquid detergent. The Environment Agency says it can lead to toxic algal blooms and kill plants, invertebrates and fish.

Rachael Fox, head of programme delivery at Yorkshire Water, said: “We are committed to improving water quality in the rivers across our region. One of the key focuses is the reduction of phosphorus entering rivers in the treated wastewater we safely return to the environment. Reducing phosphorus levels can make a real difference to water quality in our rivers.

“This project is a significant part of a £790m investment by 2025 in phosphorus removal. Blackburn Meadows is one of our largest wastewater treatment works and handles wastewater from Sheffield and surrounding areas. The upgrade of the site will significantly reduce the phosphorus levels in the Don, benefiting the watercourse and the wildlife within.”