Severn Trent: UK water firm to pay £327k after 'regrettable' sewage spill kills 'vast majority' of aquatic life in waterway

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Severn Trent has agreed to pay £327,500 to restore a waterway after a sewage spill that it called “regrettable”.

A blocked sewer polluted a 1.7km (1.05m) stretch of Dimore Brook in Quedgeley, Gloucestershire, in August 2021. An investigation by the Environment Agency (EA) found the incident killed hundreds of sticklebacks, several eels and thousands of insects.

The EA said “the vast majority of aquatic animal life had been killed by the sewage discharge” into the brook, which is operated by the water company. EA's officers found sewage fungus - a thick layer of algae - growing along a 1km (0.6m) stretch of the watercourse from Meerbrook Way to the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal.

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Sewage fungus gives off a foul odour and can reduce oxygen levels in the water, which can kill river species. The water company has now agreed to pay £327,500 as part of an enforcement undertaking.

Severn Trent has agreed to pay £327,500 to restore a waterway after a sewage spill that it called “regrettable”. (Photo: Getty Images)Severn Trent has agreed to pay £327,500 to restore a waterway after a sewage spill that it called “regrettable”. (Photo: Getty Images)
Severn Trent has agreed to pay £327,500 to restore a waterway after a sewage spill that it called “regrettable”. (Photo: Getty Images) | Getty Images

Severn Trent said the blockage had been caused by an accumulation of fats, oil and grease “incorrectly disposed of into the sewer by third parties”. A spokesperson for Severn Trent said the incident was "regrettable".

“We have since engaged with local businesses to advise them of the best way to dispose of used cooking products, and a new pumping station has come online to divert the flow away from this section of the sewer," they said. The spokesperson added: "Beyond this we are working as fast as possible to deliver a multimillion-pound programme of improvements to reduce spills and improve river health across our region.”

The money will be paid to Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust to fund projects to mitigate the damage caused to the area. The trust's head of external relations Sophie Wootton-Lee said the money would be spent on a number of habitat creation and restoration projects.

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