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Bransholme water works

53°47′25″N 0°21′03″W / 53.790158°N 0.350862°W / 53.790158; -0.350862 (Bransholme pumping station)

Storage lagoon and pumping station

Bransholme water works is a surface water storage and pumping station serving the Bransholme and Kingswood estates in Kingston upon Hull, England. The facility was originally built in the late 1960s for both surface and waste water, and included a storage lagoon and sewage works – the sewage works was replaced c. 2000 by a large waste water treatment facility near Saltend near the banks of the Humber Estuary.

The current (2015) facility pumps and stores surface water, discharging into the River Hull. Waste water is pumped to a sewage works near Saltend.

Description edit

Waste water treatment in the Bransholme and Kingswood areas of Hull is separated from that of the rest of Hull. Separate surface water and foul water systems drain to the facility at Bransholme. Surface water is discharged into the River Hull, with an intermediate storage lagoon used to store water when river levels are high. Foul water is pumped to the 'Humbercare' sewage works near Saltend.[1][2]

History edit

 
 
Construction of the improved waterworks in 2015, including the installation of an Archimedes screw pump (right)

A sewage works was built adjacent to the east bank of the River Hull in the late 1960s, an ancillary to the construction of the large Bransholme Estate to the east and south. The works was located to the south of the Wawne drain at Roe Bank. A linear mound was constructed to the east, shielding views from the estate. The estate required a new drainage system to be built – effluent at the new plant was to discharge into the river. The works also included a water storage lagoon, built to hold water when the level of the river was high.[3][4][5] By 1972 the new works was discharging 4,100 cubic metres (140,000 cu ft) of treated sewage effluent into the river.[6][7]

After c. 2000 the sewage works at Bransholme was closed, with effluent to be pumped to a new large waste water treatment works (Hull WwTW) near the Humber Estuary;[8] the works was part of the £200 million 'Humbercare' sewage scheme built to comply with European standards on sewage disposal.[9] The Humbercare system excluded surface water at Bransholme.[2]

In 2007 (see 2007 United Kingdom floods) a surface water pump failed at the pumping station,[10] the failure led to a delay in the Bransholme area being cleared of water after the flood event.[11]

The area south-east of the storage lagoon, once in part containing the sewage works was developed as housing after 2007 (Selset Way).[12][13]

Following the floods the surface water storage and pumping station at Bransholme was upgraded. The 74,000 cubic metres (2,600,000 cu ft) storage lagoon was expanded by raising its wall, increasing storage to 100,000 cubic metres (3,500,000 cu ft). To improve pumping capacity six Archimedes screw pump of 3.75 metres (12.3 ft) diameter were installed between 2014 and 2015, each with a pumping capacity of 3.94 cubic metres (139 cu ft) per second.[12][14][15][16]

Ecology edit

 
Swans and cygnets in the storage lagoon

The storage lagoon has been designated a Site of Nature Conservation Interest (SNCI). Surveys have recorded the presence of water vole, smooth newts and grass snakes in an adjacent wetland nature reserve, and a wide variety of bird species have been recorded at the lagoon. Other species found have included eels and non-native terrapins in the lagoon.[17]

References edit

  1. ^ Humbercare Sewerage Network Analysis (PDF), Yorkshire Water, July 2008, § 7; map, p.4, retrieved 13 February 2016
  2. ^ a b June 2007 floods 2007a, Fig 6.2, p.23; § 1.3, 6.1.2.5, 6.14.
  3. ^ Ordnance Survey 1:10560 1956–7, 1969 1:2500 1954–65, 1965–72
  4. ^ "Sprinz v. Kingston upon Hull City Council", The Estates Gazette Digest of Land and Property Cases, pp. 521, 524, 1975
  5. ^ Humberside : a feasibility study, Department of Economic Affairs (HMSO), 1969, pp. 65, 68
  6. ^ The Naturalist, 1972, p. 71
  7. ^ June 2007 floods 2007a, Fig 6.2, p.23; § 1.3, 6.1.2.5.
  8. ^ "Water Resources", The London Gazette (55619), 24 September 1999
  9. ^ Pearse, Geoff (1 August 1999), "Enhancing the Humber", World Tunnelling
  10. ^ Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee (23 April 2008), "Oral and Written Evidence", Flooding: Fifth Report of Session 2007–08, vol. 2, Ev.79 § 7.4.4 – 7.4.5
  11. ^ June 2007 floods 2007, § 5.2.
  12. ^ a b Dye, Stephanie; Williams, Quentin; Kelly, Ray (2015), "Bransholme Surface Water Pumping Station – flood protection for the Bransholme and Kingswood catchment" (PDF), UK Water Projects Online, retrieved 13 February 2016
  13. ^ Hull City Council, planning applications, Ref. Nos. 02/00579/OUT, 04/01558/FULL, 05/01140/FULL
  14. ^ 09/00817/FULL – Various works in connection with reservoir safety improvements:- 1. Construction of new spillway to River Hull. 2. Raising of reservoir embankments using sheet piling to 6.05m (19'10") (Above ordnance Datum (AOD) [from approximately 4.2m; 13'9"] (AOD). 3. Enclosure of site by 2m (6'6") high wire fencing. (Revised resubmission including hedge screening). (planning application), Hull City Council, 5 August 2009, retrieved 13 February 2016
  15. ^ 13/00061/FULL – 1. Construction of a new surface water pumping station building, including facilities for inspection and removal of pumps, electrical switchrooms and motor control rooms. (42m long x 36m wide x 14.5 (max) high; 137'10" x 108'3" x 47'7"). 2. Demolition of existing pumping station and re-landscaping following completion of new build. 3. Formation of new entrance, access road and pedestrian crossing. 4. Erection of 3m (9'9"0 high security fence. (resubmission) (Revised Design – Height reduced by 1m (3'3"). (planning application), Hull City Council, 21 January 2013, retrieved 13 February 2016
  16. ^ Bosse, Ben (11 June 2015), "£16m Bransholme pumping station will reduce flood-risk to 17,000 homes by end of year", Hull Daily Mail, archived from the original on 20 June 2015, retrieved 13 February 2016
  17. ^ "Bransholme SWPS Ecology Report" (PDF), Hull City Council, planning application 13/00061/FULL, August 2012, retrieved 13 February 2016[permanent dead link]

Sources edit

External links edit

 
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