Anglian Water billed £150k for river pollution in Bedfordshire

The River Til pollution incident happened in 2018 after contractors used a tanker jetter to unblock a sewer

A water company has been given a £150,000 penalty after sewage was released into a Bedfordshire river.

Contractors for Anglian Water unblocked a sewer in 2018, increasing flow, overwhelming a water recycling centre and polluting the River Til.

Jeremy Hay, from the Environment Agency, said: "Polluters should always be held to account."

An Anglian Water spokeswoman said it "deeply regrets the incident" at Yelden near Rushden.

The company reported the pollution to the agency and took action to clean it up.

The discharge affected 660m (2,165ft) of the river, raising ammonia levels, but the agency said there was no evidence of dead fish or invertebrates.

• Water firm's TV ad banned due to pollution record

• Water company fined £2.65m after sewage discharge

• Dismantling begins of 'eyesore' overground sewer

It criticised Anglian Water for having "no adequate written procedure setting out how to assess specific environmental risks and how to overcome them, to prevent pollution from small sites like Yielden [an alternative spelling]".

The agency said Anglian was the first water company to be issued with, and pay, a variable monetary penalty (VMP), using a civil sanction, which avoids the need for a prosecution in the courts.

Anglian will also pay costs of just under £4,430, on top of the VMP.

Mr Hay, a senior environment officer, said: "We will always investigate significant pollution incidents.

"We are pleased with the success of this type of civil sanction, which we hope will change behaviour."

The Anglian Water spokeswoman said it was caused by "an unflushables blockage in the sewer pipe" leading to the small water recycling centre.

"We take our responsibilities to the natural environment very seriously and deeply regret the incident," she said.

"This lead to a small spill into an often dry part of the River Til which had a minor impact on the environment."

She added the company spends £19m year on preventing sewer blockages.

The Til becomes the River Kym downstream towards Kimbolton in Cambridgeshire, which in turn flows into the River Great Ouse at St Neots.