Wessex Water has been ordered to pay £300,000 after a backed-up sewer discharged untreated sewage into a tributary of the River Yeo in Somerset, causing significant environmental damage. The incident occurred in September 2022 near Milborne Port, where a surging manhole overflowed, releasing wastewater that contaminated the tributary feeding into the River Yeo.
The spill resulted in the death of dozens of fish species, including bullhead and three-spined sticklebacks, according to the Environment Agency (EA). Investigations revealed elevated levels of harmful substances, such as ammonia and chloride, in the water.
In response, Wessex Water has implemented stringent measures to prevent similar incidents. These include lining parts of the foul sewer network and installing monitoring equipment to detect potential issues early. Additionally, the company has agreed to cover the EA’s investigation and enforcement costs totaling £6,668.
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Compensation funds will be directed to the Yeovil Rivers Community Trust to support ecological restoration projects aimed at enhancing local habitats, particularly for the endangered water vole. Populations of water voles in the Yeovil area have declined sharply, from an estimated 600-700 to between 300-400, due to habitat degradation driven by agriculture, urbanisation, and climate change.
The EA highlighted the importance of water voles in maintaining healthy wetlands and expressed satisfaction that the investment will aid habitat improvement. The Trust plans to use the funds to create reedbeds, wetlands, and ponds at Yeovil Country Park and along Long Preston Brook to bolster these fragile ecosystems.
Lorne Thomson, Chair of the Yeovil Rivers Community Trust, emphasized that the funding will enhance the Water Vole Habitat Enhancement Program, which focuses on improving rivers, ponds, and surrounding land through projects like constructing bunds and reedbeds. These efforts aim to support a variety of flora and fauna dependent on robust aquatic and wetland environments.