Yorkshire Water pays £235k to charity over Harrogate sewage leak

Sewage was discharged illegally into the beck in August 2015

A water company has agreed to pay £235,000 to a wildlife charity after illegally pumping sewage into a stream.

Yorkshire Water breached the terms of its environmental permit in August 2015 when it discharged sewage into the Hookstone Beck in Harrogate.

Following an investigation by the Environment Agency (EA) the company submitted a voluntary offer to make amends for the incident.

The EA said the money would be given to Yorkshire Wildlife Trust.

Yorkshire Water has an environmental permit allowing it to discharge into the beck when the storm sewage facility is fully utilised due to rainfall or snow melt.

However, on 27 August 2015, it discharged illegally during dry weather and sewage fungus was evident on the stream bed, the EA said.

Claire Barrow, Environment Agency Area Environment Manager, said: "Sewage pollution can be devastating to human health, local biodiversity and our environment.

"Storm overflows must only be used under strict permitted conditions that control their environmental impact."

A further requirement was also made for Yorkshire Water to upgrade its telemetry to allow continuous monitoring of the storm overflow at the site.

Yorkshire Wildlife Trust said the money would be used for projects such as native crayfish work and reed bed management at Ripon City Wetlands.

A Yorkshire Water spokesperson said the firm had made "significant improvements" since the incident, adding: "When things go wrong, we understand we have a responsibility to make it right."