Plans have been submitted for a £35 million upgrade to Yorkshire Water’s wastewater-treatment works near Naburn, south of York.

The proposed work forms part of a wider £350 million program involving 85 schemes to reduce the amount of phosphorus discharged into rivers through treated wastewater.

Yorkshire Water’s planning application proposes installing several kiosks and storage tanks across the existing Naburn Lane treatment-works site.

Phosphorus is naturally present in domestic sewage and can enter wastewater through products such as shampoos and liquid detergents. Excess phosphorus in rivers can encourage excessive plant and algal growth, reducing water quality and affecting aquatic ecosystems.

Yorkshire Water project manager Lucie Arger said improving the health of Yorkshire’s rivers was important to the company and its customers. She said reducing phosphorus in treated wastewater was one way the company could help improve river conditions.

The planning application states that the development would not have an unacceptable effect on the environment, road safety or nearby residents. It also says the proposed assets have been located and designed with identified flood-risk constraints in mind.

The project would be built within the existing operational wastewater-treatment works. The application describes the proposed development as critical infrastructure intended to improve wastewater treatment while limiting effects on the surrounding environment.

Yorkshire Water also plans to invest in reducing discharges from storm overflows into the River Ouse in the coming years.

The company said its wider £350 million program follows a previous £500 million investment focused on phosphorus removal. Yorkshire Water reported that the earlier program reduced phosphorus levels in treated wastewater by 68%.

The City of York Council has not yet set a date to consider the Naburn planning application.

The project’s final design, construction schedule, regulatory conditions and environmental performance will depend on the planning decision and subsequent approvals.