Water company fined £733,333 for pollution incidents

Yorkshire Water has been fined £733,333 after pleading guilty to three separate sewage discharges into Pools Brook at Pools Brook Country Park in Staveley; the company was sentenced at Derby Crown Court for incidents that occurred in 2018 and 2019.

The first spill in October 2018 was caused by a burst rising main sewer pipe. The discharge killed fish in a park pond, with pollution stretching over 600 metres. The second in February 2019 was caused by a blockage of mostly wet wipes that caused a pressure build up in the joint of the pipe. The third incident in August 2019 was caused by a failed joint in a foul sewer pipe.

There is an increased enforcement focus on the water industry since the implementation of the Water (Special Measures) Act 2025. The Environment Agency has also published information highlighting its increased enforcement capability.