More than half a million secured for environmental improvements

The Environment Agency has secured more than half a million from Northumbrian Water for environmental improvements following two separate pollution incidents.

The agency accepted the two Enforcement Undertakings totalling £550,000 after separate pollution incidents at Sedgeletch sewage treatment works (STW) in Houghton-le-Spring, Sunderland, and Lanchester STW in Lanchester, County Durham.

Both incidents involved unauthorised sewage discharges into local streams.

The cash will go to environmental charities to bolster improvements and includes habitat restoration as well as work to improve fish migration and reduce pollution.

Northumbrian Water made the Enforcement Undertaking offers after Environment Agency investigations into the incidents.  

The company will make the following financial contributions:

• £350,000 to Wear Rivers Trust for an unauthorised sewage discharge from Sedgeletch STW at Houghton-le-Spring into Moors Burn in September 2020. It affected 5.5km of the burn, resulting in an adverse impact on aquatic life. The impact can't be fully attributed to the water company, with two other sources of pollution close to the outfall. The cash will be spent on habitat restoration at Old Durham Beck.
• £200,000 to Durham Wildlife Trust for an unauthorised sewage discharge from Lanchester STW into Smallhope Burn in April 2021. Sampling found elevated ammonia levels downstream of the works, with the investigation revealing the levels had breached the limit permitted by the environmental permit. The cash will be spent on various environmental improvement projects in the catchment.

In addition to the financial contributions, Northumbrian Water has carried out remedial actions at each site as part of the sanctions.

This includes changing on-site procedures and installing telemetry at Sedgeletch STW, and around £7m of investment at Lanchester STW.

The company will also pay all the Environment Agency's investigation costs.

The Enforcement Undertakings come amid a strengthened crackdown by the Environment Agency on pollution and poor performance across the water industry.

In the last year, a record £8.5 million has been paid by water companies into environmental restoration across the country, almost double the year before.

Unacceptable' pollution

Rachael Caldwell, Environment Agency water industry regulation manager in the North East, said:

It's unacceptable that water companies continue to pollute our watercourses. We expect compliance and we will take action where we see breaches.

We always consider enforcement options on a case by case basis, and these civil sanctions allow wrongdoings to be corrected while contributing to environmental improvements.

This £550,000 will be invested back into the local area to enhance the environment, bringing real benefits for people and wildlife.

We are continuing to drive meaningful improvements in water company performance, clean up waterways and crackdown on persistent offenders.

Enforcement Undertakings are legally binding agreements between the Environment Agency and companies that have breached environmental rules. The undertaking requires the company to take steps to prevent repetition of the offending and to put right the damage it has caused.

It usually includes a payment to an environmental charity to carry out improvements in the local area. This money can help deliver immediate benefits to the environment, without requiring lengthy and uncertain court proceedings - complementing the Environment Agency's wider enforcement action against serial offenders. 

Background

Enforcement Undertakings:

• Enforcement Undertakings are a civil sanction available under the Environmental Civil Sanctions (England) Order 2010. They are a legally binding agreement accepted by the Environment Agency.
• The Environment Agency may accept an Enforcement Undertaking where it has reasonable grounds to suspect that the person offering the Undertaking has committed an offence. 
• It will only consider accepting an Enforcement Undertaking for cases where the offer itself addresses the cause and effect of the offending; or the offer protects, restores or enhances the environment.
• The Environment Agency continues to prosecute organisations and individuals for environmental offences where evidence shows high levels of culpability and serious environmental harm.