Wessex Water fined £500,000 for sewage killing thousands of fish
Wessex Water has been fined £500,000 after sewage from one of its pumping stations killed thousands of fish in a river.
The incident happened in the River Frome in Somerset in August 2020.
The Environment Agency (EA) said the sewage discharge caused a “significant pollution incident” which killed around 4,000 fish, including brown trout, chub and dace.
Wessex Water admitted breaching the Water Industry Act 1991 by causing polluting matter to enter controlled waters and was fined £500,000 and ordered to pay costs of £55,547 at Bristol Crown Court on Friday (11 November 2022).
The EA said the sewage discharge was caused by a blockage at the pumping station which led to sewage backing up and overflowing into the river.
The EA said Wessex Water failed to properly maintain the pumping station and had not carried out the necessary checks to ensure it was operating correctly.
The EA’s area manager for Somerset, Devon and Cornwall, Trevor Watts, said: “This was a serious pollution incident which caused significant harm to the environment.
“Wessex Water failed to properly maintain the pumping station and had not carried out the necessary checks to ensure it was operating correctly.
“The company’s failure led to a large amount of sewage being discharged into the river, which caused the death of thousands of fish.
“We are pleased that Wessex Water has admitted its guilt and has been fined accordingly.
“We hope that this case will serve as a reminder to other water companies of the importance of properly maintaining their infrastructure and ensuring that they are operating correctly.”
A Wessex Water spokesperson said: “We deeply regret that an overflow from our pumping station caused a pollution incident in the River Frome in August 2020.
“We accept the court’s decision and will continue to work closely with the Environment Agency to improve our performance and protect the environment.”
Wessex Water fined £500,000 for sewage killing thousands of fish
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