South West Water has been ordered to pay £11,875 in fines and costs after sewage overflowed from a North Devon pumping station into a tributary of the River Taw. The case was brought by the Environment Agency.
An Agency officer visited Landkey Pumping Station near Barnstaple on August 27, 2007 to investigate a reported pollution incident. On arrival he saw screened sewage discharging from the pumping station’s emergency overflow into the River Venn. A ‘plume of murky water’ was visible for approximately 20 metres downstream. An external diesel pump had been installed while South West Water sorted out problems with the station’s internal pumps.
The officer met a South West Water agent who confirmed the site pump was running, but agreed to increase its pumping rate. This reduced the discharge from the outfall until it eventually stopped about 30 minutes later.
On September 2, 2007 a second Agency officer visited Landkey in response to further reports the pumping station was overflowing and sending screened sewage into the River Venn. Both the station’s internal pumps had been removed and replaced with a single external diesel pump which appeared unable to cope with flows into the station.
The original pumps were in South West Water’s workshop. One was due to be re-installed on September 5, 2007 and the second was still undergoing repairs.
A court heard the River Venn is a quality salmon river that flows into Taw Estuary at Bishops Tawton. The Taw is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and part of the North Devon Biosphere. An important bass fishery and shellfishery, the area is also used for watersports and by naturalists.
‘Operators of pumping stations must have at least one standby pump available at all times to minimise the risk of illegal discharges. Where a external pump replaces the internal pumps it is even more important it is up to the job and that a standby pump can take over should it break down,’ said Sean McKay for the Environment Agency.
South West Water was this week fined £10,000 and ordered to pay £1,875 costs by Barnstaple magistrates after pleading guilty to two offences under the Water Resources Act 1991 for discharging sewage effluent from Landkey Pumping Station into a controlled water.
With the UK government demanding a 50% reduction in storm overflow spills by 2029, the era of reactive management is over. Speaking in the House of Commons on 21 July 2025, then environment secretary Steve Reed said, “This Government will cut water companies’ sewage pollution in half by the end of the decade.”
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