150 animals killed after water company pumps raw sewage into stream

03 March 2023 , 08:57

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A member of the public reported the incident to the Environment Agency (Image: GOV.UK)

Thames Water has been fined a whopping £2million after 150 fish were killed as the company pumped raw sewage into a stream.

An investigation into the incident reported that it was "foreseeable and avoidable" as dirty water cascaded into the River Evenlode for up to 24 hours.

The High Court found the water company polluted Idbury and Littlestock brooks at Milton-under-Wychwood, near Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire on August 8 and 9, 2015.

The Evenlode is a tributary of the River Thames and Judge Ross branded Thames Water "reckless," Berkshire Live reported.

The Environment Agency discovered that the bullhead fish were killed along a 50-metre stretch of water, and a member of the public reported the dead fish to it.

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Littlestock brooks, Oxfordshire (Google Maps)

Sewage also escaped onto a person's front garden and from a manhole amid failures in a pumping station.

Robert Davis, who led the investigation for the Environment Agency, said: "This incident was foreseeable and avoidable. Thames Water didn’t recognise the increased risk to the environment, ignoring or failing to respond adequately to more than 1,000 alarms."

The court heard that in the six weeks leading up to the incident, the water company disregarded more than 800 high-priority alarms, which needed attention within four hours.

Thames Water ignored warnings about its pumping station (Milton Under Wychwood Parish Council)

A further 300 alarms were not investigated properly, despite it pointing out problems with the station. One alarm was even deactivated.

Thames Water was aware the pumping station failed a number of times in the year previous, and including the incident in August 2015. The station was also allowed to operate with no automatically available standby pump in the 10 months leading up to the pollution incident.

Further data indicating problems was also not reported by Thames Water, Environment Agency officers found.

In 2018, Thames Water pleaded guilty. The fine was reduced to £1.8million and the remaining fee was paid to three local charities; the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust, the Evenlode Catchment Partnership and the Wychwood Project.

Davis added: "These streams are normally a haven for kingfishers, grey herons, brown trout and other fish and invertebrates. Sewage poured into the water for 24 hours, having a terrible impact, killing fish and other water life.

"We hope this prosecution sends a loud and clear message that the Environment Agency will not accept poor operation, management and maintenance of sewage pumping stations. Where we have evidence of offending and serious pollution incidents like here, we will take appropriate action to bring polluters to justice."

Luke Donnelly