South West Water has been ordered to pay £7,299 in fines and costs after a sewage treatment works in North Cornwall polluted a tributary of the River Ottery. The case was brought by the Environment Agency.

On October 31, 2008 Agency officers were inspecting the Wainhouse Corner Sewage Treatment Works near Crackington Haven when they discovered a number of faults. Sewage effluent was escaping from a damaged pipe into a nearby field and then into a stream.

The officers also saw evidence of sewage debris in the filter beds, a tipping bucket incorrectly positioned and the absence of splash plates from the ends of the filter bed spray bars. Sewage fungus was visible in the stream for a distance of 150 metres – a sign of pollution.

On December 23, 2008 officers carried out a re-inspection of the site and saw that most of the earlier faults had been corrected. However, during a follow-up visit a month later they discovered a new set of problems.

Most serious was a blockage in the treatment works’ main inlet that had become clogged with paper and faeces after heavy rain. This resulted in all incoming raw sewage by-passing the full treatment process and discharging via a storm pipe into the stream. The officers also saw that a sack in the storm chamber, used to filter out large solids, was full and overflowing with sewage and sanitary waste.

The court heard the treatment works serves a small, rural community of approximately 80 people around Wainhouse Corner.

‘Water companies must ensure sewage treatment works’ under their control operate effectively and do not pose a risk to the environment. The pollution from this site was avoidable and was caused by inadequate inspections and maintenance by the water company,’ said John Cossens for the Environment Agency.