A ‘CATALOGUE’ of failings which resulted in sewage seeping into Barnsley’s watercourses for thousands of hours last year could see a huge fine imposed on a utilities firm.
Data from the Environment Agency shows sewage from storm overflows was flowing into water bodies in Barnsley for 26,302 hours in 2023, during 3,736 spills.
This was up from 13,228 hours recorded the year before, when there were 2,715 spills in the town.
Yorkshire Water – which last month was blasted by the Environment Agency – now faces a £47m fine from industry regulator Ofwat following its largest ever investigation into companies’ wrongdoing.
Thames Water and Northumbrian Water have also been named on Ofwat’s hitlist following the probe.
Ofwat chief executive David Black added: “We uncovered a catalogue of failures in how they ran their sewage works and this resulted in excessive spills from storm overflows.
“Our investigation has shown how they routinely released sewage into our rivers and seas, rather than ensuring that this only happens in exceptional circumstances as the law intends.”
