Yorkshire Water has created a Storm Overflow Alliance to deliver up to £1bn of capital investment in AMP8.

The alliance is a partnership between Yorkshire Water, AtkinsRéalis, Morrison Water Services, Stantec and Ward & Burke.

Yorkshire Water serves more than five million customers and 140,000 businesses, in addition to millions of visitors to Yorkshire each year and covers an area of around 12,000 square kilometres.

The alliance will address storm overflow discharges and the associated environmental impacts on river and coastal waters.

The plans, which are currently awaiting approval from Ofwat, could see more than £1bn being invested to reduce storm overflow operation in the region.

The contract will run throughout the AMP8 period for an initial period of five years, with the option to extend for another five.

Alliance partners will collaboratively provide comprehensive engineering solutions, including strategic planning, design, management and delivery of critical infrastructure.

It will explore opportunities from increased storage capacity within wastewater treatment works, to smarter sewer network operations – with a key focus on blue-green solutions.

Jon Stokes, head of Storm Overflow Alliance at Yorkshire Water, said: “We’re really excited to get started with our ambitious plans for the next five years.

“We know we need to do more to improve our network, and this new partnership will help us to deliver our largest ever environmental investment which will create a significant step change in how we operate.

“Our storm overflows operate more often than we, and our customers, would like. This new partnership will help change that and bring wider benefits to the region such as more jobs and more green spaces for our communities.”

Commenting on behalf of the partner executives, Iain Sutherland, managing director of M Group Services’ Water Division, said: “We are proud to be part of the Yorkshire Water Storm Overflow Alliance alongside AtkinsRéalis, Stantec and Ward & Burke, a collaboration committed to delivering tangible, lasting improvements to Yorkshire’s wastewater infrastructure.

“Together we’ll enhance the region’s storm overflows and the surrounding infrastructure and systems. This will play a key role in transforming river and coastal water quality, as well as the ecosystems they support.

“By adopting innovative technologies and sustainable practices, we aim to ensure that the benefits of this investment are felt for generations, fostering a healthier environment and a stronger future for the region.”