Water voles and other wildlife in Somerset
will benefit from £300,000 thanks to enforcement action
by the Environment Agency after a pollution incident.
The incident occurred when a backed-up Wessex Water sewer spilled
into a tributary of the River Yeo in September 2022, killing
dozens of fish.
The funds will be used to
support habitat improvement projects in the
area, including for endangered water voles.
The agreement is part of a record £8.5 million paid by water
companies into environmental restoration projects across the
country as part of a strengthened crackdown on pollution
and poor performance across the sector.
This compares to £5.8 million the year before, a 47% increase,
and just under £2 million in the 2023/24 financial
year.
These payments follow a major increase in enforcement activity,
including a record 10,000 inspections of water company sites and
a significant rise in criminal investigations. More staff, better
data, and increased powers mean the regulator can act faster when
breaches occur and enable more targeted regulatory action.
The decline of water voles
Water voles are Britain's fastest disappearing mammal and
are at increased risk due to habitat
loss, pollution and climate change.
There used to be an estimated 600-700 voles in the
area around Yeovil, but now there
is approximately 300-400.
Habitat changes caused by the intensification of
agriculture, urbanisation, and climate change-driven
flooding have led to a decline in their
numbers across Somerset.
Poor water quality with frequent pollution events is another
factor which degrades habitat suitable for voles.
Yeovil Rivers Community Trust will use the money to create
reedbeds, wetlands and ponds at Yeovil Country Park
and long Preston Brook.
This will help the voles by providing safe space
for them to feed, breed and move about.
The project also seeks to identify other
water vole populations so that a comprehensive record can be
developed.
£300,000 enforcement agreement
In agreeing to the sanction, which is known as an enforcement
undertaking and can be used as an alternative to a
prosecution, Wessex Water have put in place robust
measures to reduce the likelihood of similar pollution incident
happening again.
This included lining the foul sewer network in the area and
the installation of monitoring equipment.
Enforcement undertakings allow funds to go straight to
investment where it is needed, rather than being spent on court
costs.
The company will also cover the Environment Agency's
investigation and enforcement costs of £6,668.
Dozens of fish killed
During the incident in September 2022, a
surging manhole caused by a backed-up sewer
led to sewage flowing into a tributary North
of Milborne Port which joins the River Yeo.
The pollution killed dozens of fish including bullhead and
three-spined sticklebacks.
An Environment Agency
investigation identified high levels of ammonia
and chloride.
Wessex Water made the offer following the investigation
into the incident.
Environment Agency Environmental Crime Officer, Steven Federico,
said:
Water voles are incredible creatures who play an important part
in creating a healthy wetland.
We are pleased that the investment will go
towards supporting these endangered creatures and improving
water habitats in turn.
Lorne Thomson, Chair of Yeovil Rivers Community Trust,
said:
This money will be used to support the Yeovil Rivers Community
Trust's Water Vole Habitat Enhancement Program, which works to
improve rivers, ponds and land habitats.
This includes projects such as the creation of bunds and reedbeds
which increase the quality of habitats for a range of flora and
fauna including water voles.
BackgroundWhat is an enforcement undertaking
(EU)?
An EU is available to the Environment Agency as an alternative
sanction to prosecution or monetary penalty for dealing with
certain environmental offences.
It is a legally-binding voluntary agreement proposed by a
business (or an individual) when the EA has reasonable grounds to
suspect that an environmental offence has occurred.
EUs for environmental offences were introduced under the
Environmental Civil Sanctions (England) Order 2010 and the
Environmental Civil Sanctions (Miscellaneous Amendments)
(England) Regulations 2010.
