Image description: Aerial drone photo of the town of Ripon in North Yorkshire in the UK showing traffic going over the main road and bridge going over a River Ure in the winter time with trees on either side

A £1.5m scheme by Yorkshire Water to reduce storm overflow discharges into the River Ure at Ripon has delivered significantly less than the 75% reduction the company committed to when the investment was announced in 2024, the BBC reports.

Recorded discharges from the Clock Tower combined sewer overflow fell from 75 events in 2021 to 43 in 2025, a reduction of approximately 43%. Yorkshire Water has reportedly acknowledged the outcome as “disappointing”, attributing part of the shortfall to 2025 being an unusually dry year, though campaign groups and local elected representatives have called for greater transparency and continued investment.

The company says it is investigating further projects in Ripon as part of its wider £1.5bn storm overflow reduction programme. The case is a reminder that CSO investment outcomes require robust independent verification, and that headline reduction commitments must be matched by credible monitoring and reporting frameworks.

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See the BBC’s report