Severn Trent Water pays out £600,000 following raw sewage spill

Severn Trent Water has volunteered to pay £600,000 to Trent Rivers Trust to compensate for its failure to note that one of its pumping stations had ceased to operate, fully leading to the pollution of a Leicestershire brook with human faecal matter.

An investigation by the Environment Agency had revealed that, in September 2022, 1km of West Meadow Brook, near Whitwick, had been polluted. The agency also found that the pollution had been ongoing for some weeks prior to reports of the incident.

Severn Trent admitted that it had failed to see that pumps were not activated, and to monitor the site when the telemetry system had failed.

Chief executive officer for Trent Rivers Trust, Matt Easter, said the funds will be used “to restore and improve vital habitats and introduce or enhance natural processes that will cope better during any future pollution incident.”

The water company offered the payment as an Enforcement Undertaking, whereby an offending business or person can propose measures in instances where the Environment Agency has reasonable grounds to suspect that an environmental offence has occurred.