South West Water has offered to pay £350,000 to Westcountry Rivers Trust following an Enforcement Undertaking after the company polluted the Tavy Estuary in Devon.
An overflowing manhole in SWW’s sewer network was identified as the source of pollution in the Tamerton Stream that killed more 100 fish.
SWW said the pollution was caused by a blockage in the sewer, which was due to a build-up of unflushable materials such as cleaning and baby wet wipes.
The company offered the payment as an alternative to prosecution in response to the incident in August 2016.
SWW stopped the sewage discharge but the pollution had already caused damage to the waterway.
Westcountry Rivers Trust said the pollution had a “substantial impact” on the river, and it will use the funds to restore fish numbers through habitat management and a community campaign to reduce pollution.
Mike Ingman, spokesperson for the Environment Agency in the southwest said: “The Tamerton Stream has suffered several pollution incidents over the past five years. It is good to see a positive outcome from what was serious pollution of a local stream. South West Water has since cleansed the main sewer line that runs through the woods and this should help reduce the likelihood of any further pollution.”
Operations director, waste water services at SWW, Ed Mitchell, said: “In the unfortunate event of a pollution incident, South West Water will seek to restore and remediate any damage caused by way of an enforcement undertaking (EU). EUs are viewed very positively by South West Water because they are directly targeted to benefit the environment and the local communities which have been the most affected.”
Mitchell urged customers to properly dispose of non-flushable items to prevent further blockages or pollution incidents.
“These items do not break down in the sewer and so they should not be flushed down the toilet. The correct route for the disposal of such items is in the bin,” he said.
Fish killed in the Taverton stream ended up in the Tavy Estuary, a sensitive watercourse with several important designations including Special Protection Area, Special Area of Conservation and a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
Enforcement Undertakings, a form of civil sanction applied by the Environment Agency, give companies an opportunity to make a payment to an environmental charity as an alternative to prosecution.