United Utilities has been handed a huge fine over a “negligent” leak of untreated sewage effluent into the River Medlock and Glodwick Brook in 2014.
The incident saw human sewage in an amount comparable to “eight Olympic swimming pools” leak into the watercourses over a three-day period. The leak is believed to have originated from a faulty tank that inspectors had believed to have been fixed.
The company adds this to its list of 205 convictions, with three major fines being handed down in the past three years alone.
The pollution went undetected for three days until a member of the public alerted the Environment Agency to a “grey sludge”. It had a profound effect on wildlife, with approximately 50 adult fish, including brown trout, killed.
United Utilities pleaded guilty to the charge of causing a water discharge not under and to the extent authorised by an environmental permit.
However, sentencing judge John Potter took further umbrage at the track record of the defendants. Speaking at the sentencing, Judge Potter stated: “By far the most serious feature of this case is the defendant company’s dreadful record of previous offending.”
He also commented that the incident was “neither accidental or unavoidable” while explaining that the company’s size and annual turnover of over £1 billion left it liable to the higher band of sentencing.
The fine would have been around £1 million, were it not for the early guilty plea submitted by United Utilities. The eventual fine of £666,000 was in addition to costs of £32,000. Mark Easedale, the environment manager for Greater Manchester, commented: “The Environment Agency takes pollution incidents very seriously and this case should send a strong message to companies of the potential consequences if they damage the environment.”