An integrated wetland planned for a wastewater treatment site in Yorkshire, UK, will help reduce storm overflow discharges into Frickley Beck – a tributary of the river Don.

The planned wetland is approximately 30,000m² - around the area of five football pitches. It will feature interconnected ponds planted with over 220,000 plants, which will treat the stormwater naturally as it travels through the wetland using the pull of gravity, during heavy and prolonged rainfall.

Pollutants and nutrients, such as phosphorus, will be naturally broken down and taken up by the plants and bacteria within the wetland. The new integrated constructed wetland will accommodate a flow of 440l/s of diluted wastewater from heavy or prolonged rainfall events, and will take approximately two years to construct.

As well as providing a sustainable and energy-efficient way of treating the water, the wetland will also increase biodiversity in the area and attract a range of wildlife including bees, breeding birds, amphibians and reptiles.

Approximately 50 residents recently attended a drop-in session at The Lanes Café to hear about the plans for the site.

Simon Hudson, lead project manager at Yorkshire Water said, “This is an exciting project and as we’ve seen with Yorkshire Water’s Clifton wastewater treatment works, these wetlands provide a range of benefits not only the way we treat wastewater, but also for the local environment.

“We want to naturally treat the stormwater at South Elmsall, reducing the reliance of energy-heavy treatment processes, providing a sustainable way to remove pollutants and reducing storm overflows into the beck, while creating wildlife diversity and achieving a biodiversity net gain.

“The customers who attended the recent drop-in session were supportive of our plans and we look forward to delivering this project for the benefit of Yorkshire’s environment.”