THE SMELLS from the Yorkshire Water Waste Water Treatment Works have been particularly bad again over the last three weeks.
Since 27th June there have been 114 complaints recorded at Yorkshire Water. Fix My Street has captured the mood of some disgusted residents:
“What a stink, the directors of the site should live near it to see what it’s like. Keep your windows closed folks, it’s a smelly one today!”
“Plant stinking again.”
“This really is getting ridiculous, are we living in Victorian England. This obnoxious smell was supposedly being dealt with yet, the smell just seems to be getting worse.”
“The stench coming from the waste treatment plant on thursday 30 june at 7pm was disgusting and foul.”
“Unbearable smells”
“I don’t know what going on at yorkshire water,but the stench from the treatment works for the last ten days has been disgusting. Nobody should have to live with smells like these every day. this is supposed to be the 21st century, not the sixteen hundreds when they tipped sewage into the streets.”
“Would you want to sit outside and have a meal with smells like these everyday. You try and run a business with this stench on your doorstep.”
Yorkshire Water has highlighted that it is the pea harvesting season with subsequent increased levels of slurry being discharged by processing factories into the city’s sewage network. This has also coincided with a mechanical issue with their chemical dosing equipment which has reduced the efficiency of the odour control unit.
The Yorkshire Water Hull and Saltend News web page does explain that the system is now working again and performing well. They say:
“We are very sorry for any inconvenience this incident may have caused. Should you wish to discuss this further, please contact us on 08451 24 24 24.”
Keep reporting the smells – so Yorkshire Water can act quickly to tackle any incident.
Good luck at the meeting.
Whilst the Executives of Yorkshire Water Company are content for their employees and customers to suffer these “unavoidable smells”.they should be made to realise that their actions are causing a downturn in trade whenever and wherever their smells are let loose.
Having no competition should not prevent the Yorkshire Water company being professional. They must know the dangerous health hazards their tardiness is causing, not to mention the gases they deal with are liable to ignite and/or cause explosions.
As one of the high number of asthmatics in Britain I’d like to point out that not only do these obnoxious smelling gases make it difficult for us to breathe but causes our bodies to made extra fluid which sits in our lungs – hence much coughing and spluttering trying to expel it.
<150 ppm) can produce olfactory fatigue, whereby the scent becomes undetectable. At very high concentrations (>300 ppm), hydrogen sulfide can cause loss of consciousness and death.>>
Sincerely,
Rena McCarthy
Rena – Would love it if you could send us more information on your concerns that the odours could have an adverse affect on those suffering from Asthma. E-mail us at hedonblog@gmx.com
please correct me if im wrong , were we told there would be no smell when the plans went in to build this place…..if so why arnt the council issuing fines, property prices must be affected , not to mention the persistent smells, im sick of hearing excuse after excuse …the recent pea harvesting yarn is incredible…was pea harvesting mentioned when they drew up the plans, I know councillor sugget has attended the works on numerous occasions puting the residents points forward , it seems to have no effect……..maybe its time for some direct action…what about a protest , we could all dress up as peas and stand outside with banners ect….or would that be taking the PEA…..im totally unhapPEA with the situation and feel our local councillors are letting us down , this has been going on far too long….dread to think what will happen when they start harvesting the sprouts.
Sprouts!? PEA…HEW! ‘We’re ready for a protest at the plant!”
Seriously though – it would be good if people could help lobby the Town Council tonight (Thurs 28th July 2011) at the Town Hall.
No Pea Pod costumes however – unless you really want to of course!
Having experienced the same eye watering and repugnant sewerage smell in central Hull when I travelled back to Yorkshire to visit family, you have my deepest sympathy. We used to have a small sewerage plant which served the immediate area at the side of our back garden in Princes Ave, Hedon and we never experienced any smell. In the years we lived there I don’t recall the water board having to degrease and unplug the pipes.
It’s obvious that Yorkshire Water can’t cope with the ever increasing number of domestic, commercial and industrial properties plus the requirements of the agriculture sector and the coastline.
I’d be inclined to ask why local government doesn’t do some joined up thinking and include Yorkshire Water when they consider any planning application. Currently roads are dug up and pipes laid to sewerage plants that are too small and aren’t even maintained properly.
Best wishes for an intelligent answer at the meeting.
Rena McCarthy (nee Crum).
Processing peas generates washings from cleaning down process plant, squashed peas, spillages etc. Not waste / byproduct materials which stay in fields. Peas high in soluble carbohydrates increase COD entering works, potential to overload oxygenation capacity ?
This problem just seems to go on and on doesn’t it? In recent weeks I have had discussions and correspondence with Jonathan Smith, the Environmental Health Officer at East Riding who has in turn been in close contact with YW regarding the matter. (see below)
Also, following complaints sent to him, our MP, Graham Stuart has been in touch with the the CEO of Yorkshire Water, who confirms more or less what Mr Smith says.
My suggestion is that, when the smell arises again – particularly when it can effects your homes, can as many people as possible complain to YW (tel 0845 1 242424) and ERYC (01482 396301). The more complaints they have logged, the higher a priority it becomes.
Jonathan Smith’s response follows :-
Dear Cllr Dennis
As discussed, I would wish to confirm recent actions with regard to this case.
Although at the time of writing I am unable to confirm exact numbers of complaints I can confirm that we have received a large number since around 27th June 2011. So much so that I have not been able to contact each one to explain the current situation. If you speak to any complainants who have not heard from me please pass on my apologies. The investigation into recent events and the potential causes of such increases in complaints are still under investigation. I have been to site five times since 29.06.11 and am due there again next week.
A brief summary of the situation is as follows.
(1). We are in pea season at the moment which increases the load to the works and potential for odorous gases. Yorkshire Water know of this in advance and have taken steps including chemical dosing to minimise the creation of odours. The effectiveness of this (dosing rates) are currently under review.
(2). One of the grit and grease channels has been cleaned out which in my opinion was a contributor to odour issues. This finished on 29.06.11 but I do have questions about how this work was undertaken and whether odour was a serious consideration in how this work was carried out). Still under investigation but second grit and grease channel not to be cleaned out until November 2011.
(3). Temporary problem with odour control unit 28.06.11 which meant that it was shut down for approximately 24 hours. Action has already been taken to ensure that this does not happen in future.
(4). Operational issues which may have contributed to the problem odours, (Currently under investigation and action being taken to rectify this).
I will be carrying out a number of assessment visits over the coming days and we will review our position in due course. I realise this is brief but please do not hesitate to come back to me if you require any further information.
John – a simple question was posed by Janet (on the Blog’s Facebook Page) Why has the pea harvest got anything to do with the bad smell?
So I’d like to find out:
Why does the waste material from the harvesting of peas (presumably vines, pea pods and plant matter) end up entering the treatment works?
Perhaps the waste materials are turned into silage which would have a strong odour – but the same question would still apply – why would this end up at the treatment works?
Maybe it’s the practices of the pea harvesters that need to be questioned?
The Hull Daily Mail has also reported this issue today.