Dwr Cymru Welsh Water, a water treatment plant in Wakes has been charged and fined after it was found to be responsible for pumping untreated sewage into the River Cynon, resulting in the death of over 1800 fish, mostly trout. The Environment Agency forced the company to bring in independent contractors to oversee the blocking of the sewage flow and the return of the river to acceptable safety standards. Claiming that the contamination was due to a technical fault in the plant, Dwr Cymru Welsh Water pleaded guilty in court to contaminating the river with raw sewage. They were found to have broken Section Four of the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975 and Section 85 of the Water Resources Act 1991 and were subsequently fined £10,000 and had to pay £4,420 in court costs. Joseph Barr, the Environment Agency Officer working on the case says that the fine will be used to restock the fish population and help minimise the environmental damage caused by the company. Barr also hopes that it will act as an example to others and ’will lead to improvements being made to prevent any further incidents of this nature’.
Unfortunately such incidents are common in Wales and elsewhere. In September 2003, Dwr Cymru Welsh Water were fined £12,500 for polluting the River Clyne and killing over 3000 fish, and in July 2007 they were fined yet again, this time for polluting a river near Wrexham.
http://www.water-guide.org.uk/blog-welsh-water-company-fined-for-polluting-river-82.html (2/10/07)
