A NEW sewer has been opened in Copmanthorpe, which will help reduce the risk of burst pipes.

Julian Sturdy, MP for York Outer, officially opened the new new two kilometre sewer in Copmanthorpe, which has been built by Yorkshire Water and their contractors Mott McDonald Bentley.

The sewer cost £1.5m million and runs between Copmanthorpe and Bishopthorpe sewage pumping stations, in an aim to reduce the risk of pipe bursts and potential pollution incidents.

The Copmanthorpe sewage pumping station currently transfers effluent from 2,000 local properties to Bishopthorpe sewage pumping station through an underground pipe, and the new two kilometre pipe runs under open farmland, fields and under the River Foss to Bishopthorpe, to allow the former route to be abandoned.

Mr Sturdy, who was also given a tour of the new facility, said: "I very much enjoyed seeing first-hand the investment to reduce the risk of sewer flooding between Bishopthorpe and Copmanthorpe by commissioning a new two kilometre pipe, which was previously prone to bursting.

"Key infrastructure like sewerage networks are often taken for granted until something goes wrong, and it is welcome that Yorkshire Water has undertaken this important work."