Home / Environment / Sewage Spill Fouls Lancashire Coast: £1M Fine Issued
Sewage Spill Fouls Lancashire Coast: £1M Fine Issued
8 Sep
Summary
- Water company fined nearly £1m for illegal sewage discharge into the Fylde coast.
- Pollution affected seven bathing waters and coastal communities for over 35 hours.
- Incident led to 'no bathing' advice and significant drops in visitor numbers.
United Utilities faces a substantial fine of £964,225 after admitting to five environmental permit violations. The water company illegally discharged raw sewage from pumping stations along the Fylde coast for more than 35 hours in June 2023.
The pollution incident impacted coastal communities in Blackpool, Lytham St Annes, Fleetwood, and Cleveleys. The Environment Agency issued "no bathing" advice for all eight designated bathing waters in the area due to the contamination.
United Utilities' own modelling indicated that a sewage plume reached seven bathing waters, significantly degrading water quality. This contamination led to reports of sewage on beaches and at marine recreational facilities, with E. coli detected and three shellfish beds temporarily closed.
The company accepted the incident's classification as category one, the most serious level. The fallout included a sharp decline in tourism, with Blackpool alone experiencing hundreds of thousands fewer visitors compared to the previous year.
Chris Borradaile, director for wastewater services at United Utilities, offered sincere apologies, stating the company accepts responsibility and acknowledges falling short of expected standards.
