Contact Yorkshire Water for Free

Yorkshire Water can now be contacted for free via a number of digital channels such as callback, webchat, Twitter and Facebook where you can get a very quick resolution to your queries whatever they may be.

We're increasing Yorkshire Water contact channels so you can reach us when you want us and via your preferred channel.

Find additional information on Yorkshire Water contact channels here.

Stranded on a desert island: What would you do...?

Forget any Wilson branded volleyballs to talk to, nor are any Lord of the Flies style rules likely to help. Captain Jack Sparrows rum will only last you so long, and Gilligan’s marksmanship and amusement are definitely not necessary.

What you can’t live without is a survivors instinct, alongside a ruthless astuteness to escape.

Stranded on a desert island without a Yorkshire water saving pack is a situation that no one wants to end up in. With the chances of a rescue becoming increasingly remote, you are left with nothing except an aptitude to adapt, and a few basic items to keep you going.

Items:

• One litre of Water



• A Swiss army knife



• A lighter



• A Nylon sheet



• A 10ft rope

The question is how would you use these few precious items to give you the best chance of surviving your ordeal?

Yorkshire Water in Zambia

Yorkshire Water employee Matthew Armitage from Goole is about to witness the work that WaterAid does in Zambia, one of the poorest countries in Africa.

On Sunday 12 February, Matthew will set off for a week in Zambia, where life expectancy is among the lowest in the world and the death rate is one of the highest. He will see how WaterAid operates, and the challenges and opportunities faced by the charity and its partners in the country.

Acting as an ambassador for WaterAid, Matthew will go on various excursions to see both rural and urban projects. These range from a ‘model village’ where WaterAid’s project work has been completed, to seeing what life is like in communities that have had little or no intervention from WaterAid.

Zambia is a large, landlocked country and is sparsely populated by over 70 ethnic groups. Despite large fresh water resources, rainfall has declined in the last 30 years, impacting on farming, the economy and nutrition.
It’s estimated that only 60% of people have access to safe water and 49% have sanitation in the country, so Matthew will see for himself what conditions are like for those who have no access to water and how they live.

Tadcaster-based mechanical fitter Matthew comments: “Yorkshire has some of the best quality water in the world, so we take it for granted. Sadly, millions of people have no choice but to drink dirty water that will make them or their children sick.

“I was shocked to hear that 4000 children die every day from sickness caused by water related diseases and poor sanitation, so I’m grateful for the opportunity to really make a difference.

“This trip will be both challenging and eye-opening. I donate regularly to WaterAid so I’m excited to witness first-hand the difference that the organisation makes to people’s lives. I also realise the importance of the fundraising that companies like Yorkshire Water carry out – this can also make a huge difference to the work WaterAid’s able to do.”

Matthew believes his skills learnt on the waste water side of the engineering department of Yorkshire Water, will help him during his week in Zambia. He has an appreciation of how essential it is to have functional water systems, and an understanding of the practical side of physically getting water to a village.

Bradford based Yorkshire Water were joint founder members of WaterAid and since it was set up 30 years ago, colleagues have helped to raise a staggering £4million for the charity. Last year, the company received the President’s Award from Prince Charles at the charity’s Annual Supporters Meeting. From WaterAid balls and coastal walks to quiz nights and bike rides, Matthew’s colleagues really get behind the charity and the work that it does.

Matthew will be writing a blog about his travels to keep his colleagues and supporters updated on his progress. To follow him, simply visit http://www.wateraidandmeinzambia.blog.com/

For more information on what Wateraid do, visit http://www.wateraid.org/ , follow @wateraid on Twitter or visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/wateraid

Century-Old Holmfirth Reservoir To Receive Safety Boost

Vital safety work to the overflow structure at one of Yorkshire’s oldest reservoirs in Holmfirth is set to begin as part of Yorkshire Water’s £60 million programme of work to maintain and modernise the region's reservoirs.

The work, which is set to begin in February, will see engineering specialists Mott MacDonald Bentley (MMB) build a new state-of-the-art spillway to replace the current ageing structure at Yateholme reservoir, which dates back to 1878.

It follows similar work conducted at three other reservoirs in the area by the company to ensure that these mammoth structures continue to meet the high levels of safety legally required.

In order to ensure the new structure aesthetically compliments the local environment, Yorkshire Water will be using a special type of precast concrete recently celebrated by TV's Countryfile programme for the way it was successfully deployed in a similar project by the company at its nearby Riding Wood reservoir last year.

During the construction phase contractors, MMB will aim to use the access from Woodhead Road for large construction vehicles as much as possible. As part of the project MMB will also be making significant improvements to Holme Wood Lane and Kiln Bent Road.

Tim Dyke, Yorkshire Water’s Project Manager for this scheme, said:

"Clearly this work is vital but at the same time, as a responsible landowner, we're doing everything we can to ensure the new structure benefits the local environment using the best products and skilled engineers.

To find out more about the reservoir improvements scheme in Yorkshire visit www.yorkshirewater.com/reservoirs

UK's First Energy Self-Sufficient Large Sewage Works

Yorkshire Water are embarking on a multi-million pound project to create the UK's first energy neutral urban sewage plant.

Starting today, this £30 million project will involve installing the UK's first BioThelys Sludge Treatment Plant at Esholt sewage works, which will be used to create energy from human waste and effluent.

The Esholt works has operated a sewage sludge incinerator for many years, but Yorkshire Water is pioneering a more sustainable route for sludge disposal using Veolia's thermal hydrolysis system (Biothelys) combined with anaerobic digestion.

Thermal hydrolysis uses heat and pressure to break down sewage sludge prior to treatment by anaerobic digestion which creates energy rich biogas that can then be burned to produce electricity which in turn will be used to power much of the plant.

As the bio-gas is rich in methane, it means that it can be converted to electricity and directly used to power the site, the process is carbon efficient and means the plant is not reliant on mains electricity, further reducing costs.

Not only does the process create green energy to fuel the plant, but the digested sludge generated following thermal hydrolysis is classified as 'enhanced treated' which means it can be legally applied as a fertiliser or soil conditioner for all crops including cereals, vegetables and salads as well as for horticultural purposes.

Engineering specialists Morgan Sindall and Grontmij will be undertaking the work, with the new plant estimated to take around 18 months to complete, and is expected to be commissioned in early 2013.

Ben Roche, Manager of energy and carbon at Yorkshire Water, comments:

"At the moment we already generate a third of the energy we use on site at Esholt through renewable energy technologies, but our aim is for this huge facility to become fully energy self-sufficient by 2015."

Turning Waste Into House Bricks

Forget clay and concrete! The new innovative project up and running at Yorkshire Water's Knostrop waste water treatment works in Leeds is turning incinerated sewage into carbon neutral house bricks.

With our massive emphasis on driving down environmental emissions, the new product devised by Leeds University spin-out company Encos, hopes to reduce the environmental impact of construction by providing an alternative to traditional cement.

How does it work?

It combines ash from incinerated sludge with vegetable-oil-based binders to create the bricks and blocks. These are classed as carbon negative because the plants used to make the vegetable oil have absorbed CO2 from the atmosphere.

Want to know more about the house bricks?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-15006749

Fat Busting Bugs

The new Yorkshire Water biological weapon has been unleashed! We’ve recently announced an innovative treatment process for helping to remove sewer fat.

Deploying trillions of what we call ‘Fat Busting Bugs’, we’re able to remove the fat, oils and grease that clog the sewer. It works by using organically grown bacillus bacteria, which is commonly found in the human gut, to feast on the fat, oils and grease, with the bacteria being mixed with non-chlorinated water before being poured into the sewer.


People who put fat, oils and grease down their sink often don't appreciate the damaging impact this can have on the region's watercourses.These fats, oils and greases can solidify, causing sewers to back up and spill over into nearby rivers, streams and becks. Also, the worst case is that it could potentially lead to your home being flooded, which is the last thing we want!

Have a look at what you should and shouldn’t put down your sinks.
www.yorkshirewater.com/dirty.

Want to see the Fat Bugs in action?
Fat Busting Bugs Video

Yorkshire Day

Today is Yorkshire Day and to help us celebrate this we are asking you to tell us what 'Yorkshire' means to you?

Yorkshire is...

Cricket
Countryside
Beaches
Breweries

Salterhebble - Where's that!!

I was on holiday last Friday and thought it was a great opportunity for a spot of running. Instead of deciding a route in advance, I decided to just run for two hours to see how far I could get!
This seemed like a good idea at the time - however, I may not have thought it through!! My route took me to Shelf roundabout and then to Brighouse, passed Kendals ice cream shop (i didn't stop off). I continued to a large roundabout and turned right towards Elland. From Elland I ended up in Salterhebble - not a place I'd been to before.
It so happened that it was opening time and I found myself in a lovely pub called the Watermill. A taxi back was in order - which cost me £12 and I have since driven the route and clocked it at 9 miles. Only 8 weeks left but with a bit of a push I reckon I can build it up even further – who knows, next time I may make it past the pub......

Ogden - Done!

Thanks everyone for coming back to check up on me! Training programme is going well and last week, with the help of my team, we managed to complete a marathon in our works gym. I only did 5 of the miles but it's progress!

Ogden - Saturday 26 February.

Well as usual, it was tipping it down on Saturday for my run around Ogden Reservoir in Halifax. I finally dragged myself out of the car and made my way to the onsite café (which was shut unfortunately!)

I set off anti-clockwise and despite heavy rain, the paths were still in great condition. A new newt pond has been put in on your right hand side, which is great for anyone with children who love pond dipping. It rained the whole way round and when I got back to the duck feeding area near the café, I was ready for a brew.

Last year, our contractors Mott MacDonald Bentley, were onsite for around three weeks doing investigations and we'll know shortly if we need to return to carry out further work. Our dedicated reservoir investment page will be kept upto date with any developments so feel free to visit yorkshirewater.com/reservoirs

Loads of parking is available at the reservoir but it does get busy (particularly in summer). I met loads of people on my way round a few other runners. Definitely one of my favourite places to visit and highly recommend it – preferably on a sunny day though!!

Visit my charity page to find out more about why I am doing the marathon www.justgiving.com/john-bond

Belfast Marathon

Over the next few weeks, one of our colleagues and self-confessed salad dodger John Bond, will be using this blog to let you know all about his efforts to prepare for the biggest challenge he has ever faced - running the Belfast Marathon. Keep checking back to see how he is getting on......



For those who know me, it will probably come as a bit of a shock that I am running anywhere, let alone a marathon!! It's certainly came as a shock to the ladies in the canteen at work, who I get bacon butties from daily. For those who don't, I have worked for Yorkshire Water for 8 years now and am 33 years old.

My role in Community Engagement involves communicating our investment programme across Yorkshire, including our reservoirs. Therefore, it seemed an ideal opportunity to link my training with our reservoir improvement work so expect a few insights into the work being carried out at our reservoirs, as well as tales of toil, sweat and the odd humourous training accident along the way!!

You can find out more about what investments are taking place near you by visiting the 'in your area' section of our website. Just pop in your postcode and you have access to a whole range of useful information.

I have already run around Embsay reservoir and am visiting Ogden this Saturday and I will update this page regularly as I visit new sites.

Please feel free to come back to check up on my progress. When not running around reservoirs, you may see me running around Bradford and Halifax in my bright orange t-shirt and steamed up glasses.

My training programme started last month - better late than never and any help or advice, would be much appreciated. The event itself takes place on the 2nd May so is rapidly approaching. Since speaking to a few friends it does seem that there a lot of runners out there, so feel free to get in touch.

I am raising money for Macmillans, which is a great cause. My brother-in law recently lost his brief battle with cancer and was from Balyclare, near Belfast and I know he would be laughing his head off watching me trying to run around his city!!

If anyone wishes to sponsor me, please feel free to visit my page on just giving, the link is www.justgiving.com/John-Bond

All set for the big launch

Tomorrow we launch our brand new campaign - 'Are You Doing the Dirty?' which we are really excited about. The campaign will highlight to customers the problems that can be caused by disposing of items such as fats, oil, grease, nappies, wipes and cotton buds down sinks and toilets. Did you know that pouring just a little bit of fat down the sink on a regular basis could result in your pipe becoming blocked? With nowhere else to go you could be left with a nasty surprise when the waste water comes back up through your toilets and sinks and causes extensive damage to your home.

Helping us deliver the key messages to our key customers is property expert Sarah Beeny. Getting such a respected figure to spearhead the campaign is a real coup and we all can't wait to meet up with her for the first time tomorrow.

To get an exclusive preview of the campaign click here

We have a host of new initiatives planned in for the new year and the best place to find out about them is to follow this blog. We'd love to know what you think, so fire us your comments through.

Flying tomorrow - I'm so excited!

Well, I've just finished re-packing what was already packed and I'm now definitely ready to go! I've also been doing some more research on Bangladesh today, and have been shocked at some of the statistics I've read. There are 150 million people living in Bangladesh - it's one of the most overpopulated countries in the world. Only 36% of these people have access to clean water - what a thought! Arsenic in the water supply is a huge problem, along with fresh water supplies becoming unusable when the monsoon floods occur, as the fresh water becomes affected by salinity issues. I really want to find out how they deal with these sorts of issues whilst I'm there. It's also struck me how precarious the situation is in Bangladesh - if the sea level rises by 1 metre, then 20 million people will be displaced - that's equivalent to a third of our population suddenly having nowhere to live. It puts into perspective just how lucky we are in this country.

Well, I'm off to bed now, as I'm up early to catch the plan. I'll be blogging from Bangladesh when the internet connection allows, so keep reading and I'll keep you posted!

All packed and ready to roll

I spent last night packing ready for Saturday, so I'm now all ready to go. I was amazed that everything fitted in my rucksack - I thought I'de be squeezing it all in but it seems to fit quite comfortably, so I'm now wondering what I've forgotten! I've got a few last minute things to buy on a Friday before heading down South to stop off with family on my way to Heathrow, ready for Saturday's flight. It's only 5 days though so I keep reminding myself that I'm sure I can cope without most things for a few days!

We've had an email through from WaterAid today to let us know that the itinerary may change at the last minute, as on one of the days that we were due to travel internally, there is a day of national strikes planned by the main opposition party. It's made me think about Bangladesh's future quite a lot. WaterAid only works in politically stable countries, where they know that the money will go to those who need it, and Bangladesh is really fortunate that the local government and the NGOs (non gonverment organisations) work really closely together as they're more effective that way. But it's made me wonder what would happen if a different party came into power, and I think this is something I'll ask about when I'm over there. It puts in perspective politics in this country though - at least when the coalition came into effect this year, it didn't affect our access to clean water! Let's hope it will be the same in Bangladesh.

My itinerary has arrived!

My itinerary has turned up today and it's jam packed! As soon as we arrive we are straight into the thick of things. We fly from Saturday to Saturday and so that means that we're really making the most of our time there. On te Sunday afternoon when we arrive, we meet the WaterAid Bangladesh officials and learn more about their work out there. They also want to understand about how we fundraise back in the UK so I've been trying to get hold of some photos of events. Then on Monday, we're off to visit an urban slum in the city of Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh. It's beginning to hit home now what I'm going to be doing and seeing - people around me at work are talking about meetings or plans for next week, and it's a surreal experience to decline an invite whilst thinking "I'll be in a slum whilst you're in that meeting"!

On Monday we then head to Khulna, a city in the south west of the country where we will be predominantly based, along with Koira, a rural village about 3 hours outside of Khulna. We're going to spend some time with a family in Koira, living their lives with them - chopping firewood, walking to collect water etc. This is the bit that I'm looking forward to the most I think, getting to see the reality of no clean water and no flushing toilet. I'm expecting it to be an eye-opening day! In Koira, we'll also be visiting a school, before visiting some rain water harvesting systems and pond filters in Shyamnagar and then heading back to Khulna to see some more urban settings. Once I'm back there, I'm going to help build a latrine - I better make sure I pack my muscles!

WaterAid Bangladesh trip

Hi everyone! I've been lucky enough to be selected to join the WaterAid Supporters' Visit to Bangladesh, and so wanted to keep everyone updated on what I'm up to whilst I'm out there. WaterAid works in some of the world's poorest countries to solve the lack of access to clean water and effective sanitation. The aim is that by seeing WaterAid's work in action - meeting people who are faced with the daily reality of not having what we take for granted everyday - then on my return I'll be able to use this first hand experience to help people understand how key their donations are and what a difference their money makes. I only found out in September that I was going, but the time has come round really quick, and I can't believe that I fly on Saturday!

I've spent the last few weeks having lots of vaccinations - I felt a bit like a pin cushion at times! I've also met the rest of the team who I'm travelling with at a Briefing day, as there are eleven of us from different water companies and the Environment Agency, as well as some supporting staff from WaterAid. They were all lovely, and I think we'll work really well as a group, supporting each other through the experiences and emotions that we're going to go through.

Do you care about what you flush down the loo or put down your sink?