Following an investigation by the Environment Agency, the company
appeared at York Magistrates' Court on Friday 30 May for
sentencing for two offences – one of illegally polluting Foss
Dyke with sewage and another in relation to failing to maintain a
pump at the pumping station.
It had previously pleaded guilty to the two offences in November
2024.
The court heard that Yorkshire Water was aware Fossbridge Sewage
Pumping Station's backup pump had not been working for five
months.
It had failed to repair it, despite the issue having been noted
repeatedly during regular maintenance checks. It should have been
fixed within 24 hours.
Yorkshire Water ‘failed to take action'
Martin Christmas, Area Environment Manager for the Environment
Agency in Yorkshire, said:
Water companies have a responsibility to ensure their assets are
maintained and in working order to protect the environment.
Yorkshire Water failed to take action despite being aware of the
risks posed by one of its pumps being out of action, which led to
a sewage spill.
We expect full compliance and are committed to taking robust
enforcement action where we see serious breaches.
Alongside increased inspections at sewage treatment works,
additional enforcement tools and better reporting we're
determined to hold water companies to account.
Sewage pumping stations pump sewage through the system to sewage
treatment works. It is illegal, unless authorised by an
environmental permit, to discharge pollution into watercourses.
Under the environmental permit for Fossbridge Sewage Pumping
Station, such a discharge is only allowed in an emergency, such
as an electrical or mechanical failure or a blockage, which, if
it occurs, must be remedied without delay.
Fossbridge pumping station has a main pump and a backup pump.
There is an emergency overflow pipe which discharges sewage into
the River Foss if the station fails, to avoid nearby homes
connected to the system from being inundated.
Sensors enable Yorkshire Water to monitor the station's
performance including power, pump condition, levels and the
operation of the emergency overflow.
Backup pump was blocked
On 5 October 2017, Yorkshire Water noted the inlet pipe feeding
the backup pump was blocked and effluent couldn't reach it,
meaning the pump could not operate.
Although a job was raised to fix this blockage, and it was noted
it needed repairs during several subsequent regular maintenance
visits, it wasn't carried out.
Comments from Yorkshire Water during interview said the repair of
the backup pump was to be done by an external contractor but had
‘got lost in the ether'.
On 12 March, 2018, the sewage pumping station filled to the point
where telemetry alarms sounded indicating a discharge of sewage
into Foss Dyke. The alarms were noted at Yorkshire Water's
control centre and attributed to high rainfall.
High rainfall was not a valid reason as the sewage pumping
station was only allowed to discharge in an emergency as set out
in its environmental permit and not, as with some water company
assets like combined sewer overflows, in ‘storm conditions'.
Yorkshire Water did not attend the pumping station, despite the
data indicating a sewage spill.
Report of discharge of sewage
Two days later on 14 March, Yorkshire Water received a report
from the public about a discharge of sewage from Fossbridge
pumping station.
It was found the main pump was running but on ‘low amps' - which
indicates a potential air lock - and the backup pump was still
not repaired. Yorkshire Water had no functioning pumps at the
pumping station.
The company stopped the discharge and arranged for tankers to
transport the sewage away from the pumping station while it was
repaired. Reports suggest the pumping station had been
discharging intermittently into the watercourse on 12 March,
2018.
Over the following days, two further discharges took place at the
pumping station, one because only one tanker was being used to
transport sewage from the pumping station and it had not been
able to keep up with the flow, and another after the main pump
blocked again.
Water samples showed high ammonia levels in the watercourse.
The backup pump was subsequently repaired following the incident.
Yorkshire Water was also ordered to pay costs of £14,028.65 and a
victim surcharge of £170.
If members of the public see any signs of pollution, they should
report it to the environment Agency's incident hotline on 0800
807060.
Background
Full charges
- Yorkshire Water Services Limited between 11 and 19 March
2018, caused a water discharge activity, namely the discharge of
sewage into the Foss Dyke near York which was not authorised by
an environmental permit.
Contrary to Regulation 38(1)(a) and Regulation 12(1)(b) of the
Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016.
- Yorkshire Water Services Limited between 1 October 2017 and
19 March 2018 at Fossbridge Sewage Pumping Station, York, failed
to comply with condition 1.6.2 of Environmental Permit number
27/24/0440, in that the company failed to maintain the standby
pump in working order.
Contrary to regulation 38(2) of the Environmental Permitting
(England and Wales) Regulations 2016.
