Ilkley Clean River Campaign

Climate Action Ilkley are pleased to support the iWharfe Clean River Campaign.

This is a consortium of local wildlife and environmental groups which is organising a project to test water quality (and sewage contamination) from Addingham down to Boston Spa. This follows the work done by the Ilkley Clean River campaign about raw sewage discharges from Yorkshire Water treatment works which you may be aware of. Details of the iWharfe project is available here.

It has generous funding support from Ilkley, Otley and Wetherby Town Councils and from a number of other organisations including Yorkshire Water, Wharfedale Naturalists Society and Salmon and Trout Conservation. Professor Rick Batterbee of the Addingham Environmental group is leading the iWharfe project and they have also been trying to raise £3000 from crowdfunding through the Just Giving website towards the costs.  He says:”We’re almost there!

If you’re able to help us, you can donate on this page:

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/iwharfe?utm_term=MvrGQbNv7

It’s a good cause!!

August 2020 Update

We should all respond to Defra’s consultation invitation:-

“Finally, Defra is consulting on our application for Bathing Water Status. Local people and agencies all support the application and have worked hard to prove how much we need it, so we anticipate a positive outcome. People living in Ilkley expect our sewage to be treated not dumped straight into the river every time it rains. We were shocked to find that our river was being used as an open sewer. We have stories of children getting sick as a result of dipping in the river. This is a disgrace. Bathing status is a critical step in cleaning up our river.”
The consultation can be accessed here