Robin Hood's Bay

"Building Wastewater Plants with Community-Friendly Designs"

What's the most effective way to design a wastewater plant that not only improves water quality, but also satisfies stringent environmental regulations and enhances the aesthetics of a tourist attraction?

That was MWH's objective on the Robin Hood's Bay Project, located in the North York Moors National Park near Scarborough, England. The project, which came in £1 million under the original estimate, was named overall winner in the United Kingdom Engineering Council's Award for Engineers 2000 Competition for its design.

The Engineering Council judges said they were most impressed with the ethos of the team: "Not only did they take all the engineering aspects into consideration, but took pains to include the local community and the environment into their thinking."

Designing the Project

MWH designed and managed the £4 million project for Yorkshire Water. It involved the construction of three wastewater pumping stations, pipelines and sewers on the northeastern coast of England. The facilities were designed to divert sewage outfall flows to treatment and meet the requirements of Europe's Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive. As project manager, MWH worked closely with Morrison as constructor and Yorkshire Water as operator and client.

After significant study, MWH determined the best locations for the pumping stations and pipeline routes would be in an inland position behind the coastal cliffs. This spot minimized construction traffic and pollution on the village center during construction. Upon completion, none of the structures was visible from the foreshore; an area designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest. A tunnel beneath the cliffs and beach links the new site to the original outfall interception point.

The project is part of Yorkshire Water's Coastcare initiative and intercepts wastewater from the Robin Hood's Bay and adjacent catchments. Two newly constructed coast pumping stations divert outflows to Fylingthorpe. Here, a third station lifts flows 120 meters along a 1.7-kilometer rising main, discharging into a 4.3-kilometer gravity sewer for treatment at Whitby.

This dramatically improves the Bay's water quality and enhances the value of this picturesque location and of its village community, as a tourist attraction.