30/08/2005 - Severn Trent
Water has admitted allowing two polluting
discharges of untreated sewage into a Lincolnshire
river.
The company admitted two charges of breaching
section 85 of the Water Resources Act of 1991
and was fined £10,000 for each incident
with £4,624 costs at Gainsborough Magistrates
Court. They also asked for one further offence
to be taken into consideration.
About 7,000 fish were killed at the Heapham
Fishing Lakes near Gainsborough in April 2004
when sewage escaped from Severn Trent Water
sewers into a tributary of the River Till,
which runs through the fishery...
The sewage in the lake significantly reduced
oxygen levels and increased ammonia levels
making it impossible for the fish to survive,
magistrates were told.
Many of the fish killed, including carp,
bream, roach, perch, rudd and ide, were large
specimens worth a lot of money to the owners
of the fishery. No water dwelling birds were
seen at the lake although invertebrates did
not appear to be affected.
Severn Trent Water deployed ten aerators
working 24 hours a day for almost four weeks
to increase oxygen levels in the lake. Pipes
connecting the affected lake with a second
lake at the fishery also had to be blocked
to prevent contamination spreading.
The sewage in the lake significantly reduced
oxygen levels and increased ammonia levels
making it impossible for the fish to survive,
magistrates were told. No water dwelling birds
were seen at the lake although invertebrates
did not appear to be affected.
Many of the fish killed, including carp,
bream, roach, perch, rudd and ide, were large
specimens with a reasonably high market value.
Severn Trent had to use ten aerators working
24 hours a day for almost four weeks to increase
oxygen levels in the lake. Pipes connecting
the affected lake with the second Heapham
lake also had to be blocked to prevent contamination
spreading.
The Environment Agency estimated that at
least 70 per cent of the stock, equating to
approximately 7,000 fish, had been wiped out
and that remaining fish may also have been
damaged by the high ammonia levels.
On April 23 there were two separate blockages
in the local foul sewer causing sewage to
get into surface water drains which is designed
to carry rainwater from built up areas into
receiving watercourses. These led to a discharge
of sewage into the River Till tributary causing
pollution over a 5km stretch.
The day after, there was another blockage
within the foul sewer causing sewage to discharge
from a different outfall into the same stream.
Severn Trent Water asked the magistrates to
take this offence into account when passing
sentence.
The Angling Club restocked the affected lake
at the beginning of August 2004 with 160 pounds
of big carp, bream, roach, rudd, ide and tench.
However, a second, subsequent escape of sewage
from the same outfall as the incident in April
killed much of the new stock barely two weeks
after it had been introduced.
Severn Trent Water pleaded guilty to:
1) On or about 23 April 2004 you did cause
poisonous, noxious or polluting matter to
enter controlled waters, namely a tributary
of the River Till at Gainsborough in the County
of Lincolnshire.
Contrary to s85(1) and s85(6) Water Resources
Act 1991
2) Between 15 August 2004 and 19 August 2004
you did cause poisonous, noxious or polluting
matter to enter controlled waters, namely
a tributary of the River Till at Gainsborough
in the County of Lincolnshire.
Contrary to s85(1) and s85(6) Water Resources
Act 1991
After the hearing Environment Agency Team
Leader Phil Hukin said: ‘This case highlights
the significant damage that can occur when
raw sewage is discharged into our rivers.
‘What was of particular concern in this case
was the fact that there had been several incidents
in the same area over a short time. Although
they appeared to be unrelated, they resulted
in the deaths of thousands of fish and a reduction
in water quality.
‘Water companies have a duty to ensure that
the systems they use are properly maintained
and inspected to ensure their ongoing integrity
and to prevent such incidents.’
