Northumbrian Water will pay £50,000 to Tyne Rivers Trust after a burst pipe polluted Monkton Burn in Jarrow, South Tyneside
An investigation by the Environment Agency found that the burst resulted in an unauthorised discharge of treated chlorinated water and silt.
Northumbrian Water submitted an Enforcement Undertaking to the Environment Agency, which has now been accepted.
An Enforcement Undertaking is a voluntary offer made by companies or individuals to make amends for their offending, and usually includes a payment aimed as securing benefit or improvement to the environment.
The water main is part of a larger network that supplies water to households in Washington, Sunderland, South Shields and Jarrow, with this pipe supplying 8,500 properties in Sunderland.
In August 2020 Northumbrian Water reported to the Environment Agency that the water main had burst, polluting the watercourse with silt and chlorine.
An environment officer attended the following day and saw extensive deposits of silt on the banks and bed of Monkton Burn, with pollution affecting more than 500metres of the burn, to where it meets the River Don.
After the incident, Northumbrian Water repaired the section of pipe and installed temporary pollution control and remediation measures. It also purchased hand-held equipment to measure chlorine levels. There has been no long term impact on the watercourse.
Money Invested Back into Local Area
Environment Agency Land and Water Team Leader Graham Siddle said:
Plan for Water
Water Minister Robbie Moore said:
Tyne Rivers Trust will use the donation on two projects which will improve the Tyne catchment, including changes to land management practices and work to improve water quality.