WELSH Water have been ordered to pay £36,000 in fines and costs for polluting a Wye tributary.

The Environment Agency successfully prosecuted the utility company for breaking conditions of an environmental permit at a sewage treatment works seven times in a five-month period.

Kidderminster magistrates heard that effluent discharged into the Cage Brook at Clehonger, south of Hereford, breached an environmental permit that only allows Welsh Water to discharge effluent containing more than 18 milligrams/litre of ammonia twice in a 12-month period.

The results showed that from November 23, 2020 to April 17, 2021 the limit had been exceeded seven times ranging from 18.2 mg/l to 26.2 mg/l.

Officials from Welsh Water said the additional loading was the result of a new development nearby.

A solicitor for Welsh Water told the court the company had spent a significant amount of money to improve the infrastructure at the site, and there had been no further issues or breaches of permit condition.

Adam Shipp, a senior environment officer at the Environment Agency, which led the investigation, said: "Incidents like this are preventable and are completely unacceptable, particularly at a time when the need to protect the water environment for wildlife and people has never been greater.

"Water companies are aware that their activities have the potential for serious environmental impacts, and they know that we will take action when they cause pollution.

"The Environment Agency does and will continue to hold water companies to account when their performance falls below acceptable standards."

Welsh Water was fined £24,000 for exceeding permitted levels of sewage effluent, and was also ordered to pay costs of £11,835.86 and a surcharge of £181.

An ongoing River Wye pollution legal claim by law firm Leigh Day will now include Welsh Water, alongside Cargill Plc, Avara Foods and Freemans of Newent as defendants.