Press Notice - 23 April 1999
Severn Trent Water pleads guilty to charges of supplying water unfit for human consumption
Severn Trent Water today pleaded guilty to supplying water unfit for human consumption. The incident involved the supply of discoloured water to up to 35,000 consumers in Kirkby in Ashfield, Sutton in Ashfield and Annesley Woodhouse in December 1997.
The charges brought under Section 70 of the Water Industry Act 1991were heard at Mansfield Magistrates Court.
Michael Rouse Chief Inspector of the Drinking Water Inspectorate said:
"I am very pleased to see that Severn Trent Water pleaded guilty. As guardians of drinking water quality, DWI will continue to consider prosecution in all cases in which consumers have received water which they regard as unfit for human consumption".
The Company was fined £10,000 and ordered to pay £4,000 toward prosecution costs.
Notes for Editors
1. The prosecution follows an investigation by the Drinking Water Inspectorate of an incident involving the supply of discoloured water to the towns of Kirkby in Ashfield, Sutton in Ashfield and Annesley Woodhouse on 12 and 13 December 1997.
2. Section 70 of the Water Industry Act makes it criminal offence for a water company to supply water which is unfit for human consumption. The Inspectorate investigates all drinking water quality incidents and can bring prosecutions in the names of either the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions or the Secretary of State for Wales. DWI will bring prosecutions if it believes that it has evidence that water unfit for human consumption was supplied, if it believes that the company does not have a defence that it took all reasonable steps and exercised all due diligence and if such a prosecution is regarded as being in the public interest.
3. The incident began on 12 December 1997 following an operation by the Company to increase the flow from its Far Baulker pumping station in order to support the falling level in a service reservoir. The increase in flow in the main is thought to have disturbed sediment within the main and caused over 250 consumer complaints of dirty water over two days. The Inspectorate considers that the Company did not act with due diligence because it could have supported the falling level in the reservoir using an alternative supply, Ogston treatment works, which did not have a history of causing discolouration. In contrast the main from Far Baulker was known to contain sediment and there were two previous occasions when the increases in flow from Far Baulker had correlated with increases in customer complaints of discoloured water.
4. The Inspectorate interviewed a number of affected consumers whose descriptions of the water included "a dirty sand colour and it stained anything it came into contact with", "a dark soily brown colour" and "brown and muddy". Consumers would not drink the water, one would not bathe in it and some had laundry stained. The discolouration was caused by iron and manganese deposits. Consumers rejected the water on the grounds of its appearance and it is unlikely that there was any risk to health.
5. The Drinking Water Inspectorate was set up in January 1990 its main task is to check that water companies in England and Wales supply wholesome water and comply with the requirements of the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations.
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Published 15 September 1999 / Updated 11 July 2001
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