Thames Water pays £80,000 for 2013 pollution incident

Thames Water will give £80,000 to the South East Rivers Trust to help make amends for a pollution incident in 2013.

The water company has apologised for allowing sewage to escape from a blocked sewer in Chislehurst in 2013.

The Environment Agency believes the sewage could have been “flowing for several days” and killed as many as 20 stickleback fish and hundreds of invertebrates.

Thames Water will make the £80,000 payment as a civil sanction (or enforcement undertaking) to the environmental charity to make improvements to a local river. It will also pay the Environment Agency’s full costs of £18,814.51 for the investigation.

In October 2013, an underground sewer pipe in Chislehurst became lodged with tree roots, fat, oil, grease and other debris, the Environment Agency said.

The build-up forced sewage above ground, flooding a field and two streams, before entering the River Shuttle.

The Environment Agency said the effect of the pollution on water quality and river habitats “was seen over several miles”.

Jamie Lloyd, a land and water officer for the Environment Agency in south-east London, said: “A lack of maintenance by Thames Water over an extended period of time was to blame for this incident.

“Tree roots were allowed to grow into the sewer unchecked, resulting in fat and sewage solids causing a complete blockage. Sewage backed-up and was sent with some force through two manholes, triggering significant pollution. Thames Water compounded the pollution by failing to clear the sewer quickly after the Environment Agency reported the incident to them.”

Following the Environment Agency’s investigation, Thames Water installed equipment to monitor sewage levels in its sewer network, near to where the blockage occurred. This will tell the company about any developing problems, and allow obstructions to be cleared as soon as possible. The company has also relined the sewer to help prevent roots entering the pipes again.

The South East Rivers Trust, which helps communities look after rivers, will use the money to install a fish pass on the River Cray at Bexley, allowing various types of fish to swim upstream, beyond an historic weir at Hall Place, to the upper reaches of the river.

Companies and individuals can make good some of the environmental damage they cause, including through a financial contribution to a local project. The Environment Agency must also be satisfied the polluter will make changes to its operations to prevent similar damage in the future.

While agreeing to enforcement undertakings, the Environment Agency continues to prosecute organisations and individuals where evidence shows high levels of culpability and serious environmental harm.

A spokesperson for Thames Water said: “We’re sorry for what happened in Chislehurst in 2013 as we take our role in protecting the environment very seriously.

“Since then we’ve introduced major changes to how we manage our sewer network and treatment sites. This work has reduced pollution incidents by 69 per cent. We are pleased the Environment Agency decided to accept our enforcement undertaking, to fund work by the South East Rivers Trust which will benefit river wildlife.”

Thames Water was recently fined £2 million and ordered to pay full costs of nearly £80,000 for a pollution incident in 2015.