Northumbrian Water pleased guilty at Durham Crown Court this week to charges brought by the Environment Agency .
The court heard that on 22nd May 2017, a blockage in a combined sewer caused sewage to burst out of a manhole cover and discharge into the watercourse that runs through Heads Hope Dene near Castle Eden.
Northumbrian Water self-reported the incident to the Environment Agency and began immediate work to clear the blockage that day as well as remedial work to make improvements. A longer term solution to re-route the sewer out of the Dene is under way.
The water company was fined £540,000 and ordered to pay costs of more than £142,000 and a £170 victim surcharge.
Rachael Caldwell, environment manager for the Environment Agency in the northeast, said: “We take our responsibility to protect the environment very seriously. Water companies have a legal duty to avoid pollution and must act quickly to reduce any damage that happens as a result of their activities. The regulations are clear and are enforced robustly.
“In this case raw sewage poured out of a manhole cover and into the Dene, which had a negative impact along 4km of the watercourse. Our officers have worked tirelessly to bring this case to court and we’re pleased with the result, which demonstrates our commitment to holding water companies accountable.”
Since 2015 the Environment Agency has brought 46 prosecutions against water companies, securing fines of more than £131m.
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