Northumbrian Water fined £500,000 for raw sewage spill

Northumbrian Water has been fined more than £500,000 after pleading guilty to polluting a watercourse in a prosecution brought by the Environment Agency.

The company was fined £540,000 and ordered to pay costs of more than £142,000 and a £170 victim surcharge.

Durham Crown Court heard that on 22 May 2017, a blockage in a combined sewer caused raw sewage to pour out of a manhole cover and discharge into the watercourse that runs through Heads Hope Dene.

The court heard that Northumbrian Water reported the incident to the Environment Agency and began immediate work to clear the blockage as well as remedial work. A longer term solution to re-route the sewer out of the Dene is underway.

Subsequent surveys showed the ecology and habitat of the Dene was damaged for 2km, with river sample results indicating a detrimental impact on water quality for 4km.