Yahoo Finance Thames Water to pay £80,000 after big pollution blunder
Thames Water will fork out £80,000 to an environmental charity after a pollution accident caused by “lack of maintenance” in south-east London.
In October 2013, the utility giant allowed sewage to escape from an underground sewer pipe in Chislehurst, Bromley, which had become lodged with tree roots, fat, oil, grease and other debris. The build-up forced sewage above ground, flooding a field and two streams before entering the River Shuttle.
Official investigation by the Environment Agency revealed the flood, which could have been flowing for several days, killed as many as 20 stickleback fish and hundreds of invertebrates. The effect of the pollution on water quality and river habitats was seen over several miles.
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The company will pay the £80,000 as a civil sanction, also known as an enforcement undertaking. Civil sanctions ask companies to make up for environmental damage by making a financial contribution to a local project. The Environment Agency must also be satisfied the polluter will make changes to its operations to prevent similar damage in the future.
Following the investigation, Thames Water has installed equipment to monitor sewage levels in its pipe network near where the blockage occurred. This equipment will alert them to any developing problems and allow future blockages to be cleared as soon as possible. The company has also relined the sewer to help prevent tree roots entering the pipes again.
The South East Rivers Trust, which helps communities take care of local rivers, will use the money to install a fish pass on the River Cray at Bexley, allowing various types of fish to swim upstream to the upper reaches of the river.
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Thames Water has also paid the Environment Agency’s full investigation cost of £18,814.51 for the case.
Jamie Lloyd, a land and water officer for the Environment Agency in south-east London, said: “A lack of maintenance by Thames Water over an extended period of time was to blame for this accident.
“Tree roots were allowed to grow into the sewer unchecked, resulting in fat and sewage solids causing a complete blockage. Sewage backed up and was sent with some force through two manholes, triggering significant pollution. Thames Water compounded the pollution by failing to clear the sewer quickly after the environment agency reported the incident to them.”