Yorkshire Water pays £300,000 after sewage polluted three kilometres of Kippax Beck and wildlife

The company breached its environmental permit due to an unauthorised sewage discharge from its Garforth Storm Tanks, which led to a pollution incident at Kippax Beck.

Yorkshire Water submitted an Enforcement Undertaking to the Environment Agency, which has now been accepted. It is a voluntary offer made by companies and individuals to make amends for their offending.

Flows at Garforth Storm Tanks are managed by an automated valve, controlling and isolating the sewage. The tanks will fill during times of heavy rainfall. If the valve fully closes, it means all sewage and rainfall are diverted to the storm tanks and an alarm alerts Yorkshire Water. Sewage levels in the storm tanks are then monitored using level sensors and alarms.

On November 17 2018, the Environment Agency alerted Yorkshire Water to discoloured water in Kippax Beck. Enquiries by the company revealed the valve was fully closed. It meant the storm tanks had filled and were discharging into a nearby watercourse.

The impact was widespread and appeared to have affected the beck and its wildlife for 3.3km.

Area Environment Manager, Ben Hocking, said: “When companies fail to meet their environmental obligations, it’s a serious matter and we will take appropriate action, which may include civil sanctions.

“Enforcement Undertakings are an effective enforcement option to allow companies to put things right and contribute to environmental improvements. This payment of £300,000 to Yorkshire Wildlife Trust will bring great benefits to nature reserves in the local area.”

The offer from Yorkshire Water details how it has also taken steps to make improvements, including replacing and repairing machinery and equipment, carrying out a review of alarms, and completing an environmental survey.

Yorkshire Wildlife Trust will use the donation to fund a series of projects at nature reserves in the Lower Aire valley.

A Yorkshire Water spokesperson said: “Since the incident in 2018 we have repaired, replaced and installed new equipment at our Garforth site to prevent similar issues in the future.

“We have also given £300,000 to the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, money which will be spent in the region to continue to provide excellent land for the people and wildlife of Yorkshire to enjoy.

“This will benefit our region, unlike fines the Environment Agency secures, which are paid to The Treasury and may not be invested in our region.”

Since 2015, the Environment Agency has secured water company court fines of more £137m. Most recently, Yorkshire Water was fined £233,000 at Leeds Crown Court on January 28 for a pollution incident at Tong Beck which happened in November 2017.

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