VISITORS to East Coast should enjoy cleaner waters to paddle in thanks to a multi-million pound investment in water treatment works.

The £6 million new works, at Broomfield Farm in Whitby, will be officially opened next Thursday, April 19, by MPs Lawrie Quinn and John Battle and are part of a £32 million Whitby waste water scheme.

The plant uses the latest in sewage treatment technology - ultraviolet disinfection - which goes beyond the requirements of EU and UK legislation.

And its completion marked the end of the decades old practice of pumping raw sewage into the sea.

Yorkshire Water says this will result in a significant improvement in the quality of the resort's bathing water and is good news for Whitby and good news for tourism.

John Napier, executive chairman of the Kelda Group, Yorkshire Water's parent company, said: "The new works will provide huge benefits to the Whitby coastline.

"The Whitby waste water treatment scheme has been quite a challenge. The wonderful character of the old town, with its hills and concentration around the harbour, provided a real test when building the new pipelines and pumping station which connect to the works at Broomfield Farm."

The Whitby project is part of Yorkshire Water's £120 million CoastCare scheme.

State-of-the-art sewage works - all using ultraviolet disinfection - have been built in Bridlington, Scarborough, Filey and Whitby.

Gerry Smith, Yorkshire Water's project manager who has worked on the Whitby scheme since 1993, said: "The official opening will be a real celebration, not just for Whitby residents and Yorkshire Water, but for our contractors and consultants who have done a great job in bringing this scheme to life."

On Thursday, the two MPs will be joined by Mr Napier and also by representatives from the pressure group, Sons of Neptune.

Freddie Drabble, leader of the Sons of Neptune, said: "We are delighted with the sewage works that Yorkshire Water have built on our coast. The use of ultraviolet disinfection in the treatment process is something for which we have been campaigning for many years. It will make a huge difference to Whitby and its coastline."

Updated: 10:39 Friday, April 13, 2001