Environment Agency
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Water company fails to act fast enough on major sewage spill

South West Water have been fined £28,000 and ordered to pay prosecution costs of £3,935 after failing to respond speedily enough to a sewage spill caused by a blockage at the Milford Park pumping station, Teignmouth, Devon.

The case was brought by the Environment Agency.

On 27June 2013, the pumping station at Milford Park became partially blocked when a penstock valve broke and fell into the 30 per cent shut position.

Sewage accumulated in the pumping station and in the surrounding sewers until it spilled from 3 locations – the rugby club combined sewage outflow which leads into the Bitton Brook for 18 hours, from Milford Park into the Teign Estuary for 16 hours and also a manhole adjacent to the rugby club.

Starting at 8.50pm, alarms and signals were transmitted from Milford Park pumping station to South West Water’s control centre, warning of the problems . The court heard that there had been an hour and a half delay on South West Water’s part in responding to the alarms.

Richard Fisher for the Environment Agency said:

South West Water had already recorded the site as at risk after a large rag ball had been trapped in the pumping station. The company had arranged for the rag ball to be removed on 4 July. This made the problems experienced on 27 June worse but did not cause them. The sewage spill affected the nearby beaches at Teignmouth with 2 bathing water beaches failing the water quality testing standards on the day.

The court heard that South West Water had improved the works at the Milford Park pmping station.

Channel website: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/environment-agency

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