After sewage was discharged into a river in Bedfordshire, a water company was fined £150,000.
In 2018, workers for Anglian Water unblocked a sewer, causing flow to increase, overflowing a water recycling facility, and polluting the River Til.
Polluters should always be held accountable, according to Jeremy Hay of the Environment Agency. ".
An Anglian Water spokesperson expressed "deep regret" for the incident that occurred at Yelden near Rushden.
The business notified the organization about the pollution and started the cleanup process.
The agency claimed there was no evidence of dead fish or invertebrates, despite the discharge affecting 660m (2,165ft) of the river and raising ammonia levels.
The report criticized Anglian Water for lacking "adequate written procedures 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 organization claimed that Anglian was the first water company to receive and pay a variable monetary penalty (VMP), which is a civil sanction that does not require legal action. .
A further cost of just under £4,430 will be paid by Anglian on top of the VMP.
"We always investigate significant pollution incidents," said Mr. Hay, a senior environment officer.
"We are happy that this kind of civil sanction has been successful in changing behavior, as we hope it will. ".
An unflushables blockage in the sewer pipe leading to the small water recycling center, according to an Anglian Water spokeswoman, was the root of the problem.
We deeply regret the incident, she said, adding that we take our obligations to the environment very seriously.
This resulted in a minor spill into a frequently dry section of the River Til, which had little effect on the environment. " .
She added that the company spends £19 million a year to prevent sewer blockages.
As the Til flows downstream toward Kimbolton in Cambridgeshire, it changes its name to the River Kym, which merges with the River Great Ouse at St. Neots.
