Steve Fraser Apologises for United Utilities Millom Pumping Station Debacle

Managing Director of United Kingdom's largest listed water company sorry for events leading to imposition of £750,000 fine on Tuesday, but says there is no evidence of "any ill effects" on the environment despite court finding of reckless failure against the company.

United Utilities has apologised for a pump breakdown which allowed wastewater to enter the Duddon Estuary at Millom.

The company was fined £750,000 at Preston Crown Court on Tuesday.

United Utilities is now considering lodging an appeal relating to the level of the fine.

The company had already admitted three breaches of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010 at a previous hearing: allowing an illegal water discharge activity; failing to provide a 24-hour telemetry alarm; and failing to ensure the good working order of duty and stand-by pumps.

The incident happened at a pumping station in King Street, Millom, during a weekend in mid May 2013. A pump had broken, allowing a dilute mixture of storm and wastewater to spill into the estuary though an overflow pipe.

Unfortunately, another pump was also away for repair and the alarm didn't let engineers know there was a problem. A member of staff discovered it during a routine inspection early on Monday morning and took immediate action to put things right.

Within hours, temporary pumps were brought in to prevent any further unconsented spills and staff carried out a clean-up of the salt marsh. No unpleasant litter was found.

United Utilities Managing Director Steve Fraser said: "We are very sorry this incident happened. We proactively reported it to the Environment Agency ourselves as soon as we became aware of it, and there was no evidence of any ill effects on the environment.

"We have worked closely with the Environment Agency to understand what happened. Tankers and temporary pumps helped make sure there were no further discharges at the time, and we scoured the salt marsh for unpleasant litter. Fortunately there was none"We've spent £18m improving sewage disposal and treatment at Millom to improve the general health of the Duddon Estuary.
"As part of that project, King Street Pumping Station was completely re-fitted. All the pumps, the power supply and the alarm system were replaced and its capacity to pump storm water to the nearby treatment works has more than doubled.".

"We've spent £18m improving sewage disposal and treatment at Millom to improve the general health of the Duddon Estuary.
"As part of that project, King Street Pumping Station was completely re-fitted. All the pumps, the power supply and the alarm system were replaced and its capacity to pump storm water to the nearby treatment works has more than doubled."