March 7, 2022
Northumbrian Water submitted an Enforcement Undertaking to the Environment Agency, which has now been accepted.
An Enforcement Undertaking is a voluntary offer made by companies and individuals to make amends for their offending.
Area Environment Manager, Rachael Caldwell, said: “All businesses, including water companies, have a responsibility to ensure their activities do not present a risk of harm to people and the environment.
“When companies fail to meet their environmental obligations, it’s a serious matter and we will take appropriate action, which may include civil sanctions.
“Enforcement Undertakings allow companies who fail to comply with legal requirements, or pollute the environment, to positively address and restore any harm caused and prevent repeat incidents.
“This payment to Tyne Rivers Trust will help protect and enhance nature in the local area.”
Northumbria Water had temporarily contracted a machine to separate liquids at the Horsley site to help the works cope with a period of increased demand, but staff used old drainage plans and mistakenly connected it to a surface water drain rather than a foul sewer.
As a result, the liquid from the process – called centrate, produced when sludge is dewatered – was discharged into a drain which led to Kitty Burn, and which then flowed about 1.3km into the River Tyne.
The Environment Agency attended on 2 November 2018 and enquiries revealed the discharge had been happening sporadically for around eight weeks, with almost eight million litres of centrate discharged. Sampling indicated there had been minimal impact on the ecology of the river.
The Enforcement Undertaking offer from Northumbrian Water details how it has introduced standard operating procedures to ensure that all sites have colour-coded drain covers and on-site signage, that all drains are to be identified and checked against a current site drainage plan, and it has invested in new machinery.
This is valid as of 7th March 2022.
What you’ll get: Free downloads, advance notice of webinars, product updates and perks – all straight to your inbox.