Analysts at the company have used historical data to create a system which will monitor the weather and sound an alert when conditions create the “perfect storm” for sewerage pollution.
Once these alerts have been issued after a period of dry weather, and ahead of a spell of wet weather, engineers will use the jet pipes in the region’s 300 blockage hotspots, reducing the risk of a blockage and subsequent pollution.
James Harrison, Technical Sewerage Manager for Yorkshire Water, said: “Taking care of the environment is absolutely crucial to our business and that’s why we wanted to try and develop a new approach to minimising sewage pollution.
“Rather than being on the back foot, preventing the problem from occurring in the first place is a far more efficient way of working and we’re already starting to see the results with several potential incidents being prevented.”