A WATER supplier has donated £60,000 to charities benefitting the environment after polluting a brook with overflowing sewage.

Enforcement action was agreed between the Environment Agency and Anglian Water after the company polluted the Layer Brook in Essex.

The brook and its tributary, in Tiptree, flow into Abberton reservoir.

The agency found ammonia levels were high along a 4km stretch, about 200 meters upstream of the reservoir.

Five dead fish were found, but a water survey carried out by Anglian Water indicated no lasting impact from the pollution.

The brook was polluted when sewage entering Tiptree Water Recycling Centre filled the storm tanks and overflowed without being treated.

At the time of the incident, one of two pumps used to send incoming sewage for treatment had been removed for repair.

The remaining pump tripped three times over two nights and an alarm, later found to be faulty, also failed.

It has since been replaced.

Staff also failed to respond to a sounding alarm, even though the company had alerted them to the fact one of the pumps had been removed for repair and urged them to respond quickly should the alarm go off.

As part of the action, Anglian Water has donated the cash to Essex and Suffolk Rivers Trust and Essex Wildlife Trust and has paid the agency’s costs.

The Environment Agency accepted the offer to put right any damage caused by the pollution.

Lesley Robertson, East Anglia enforcement team leader at the Environment Agency said: “Enforcement undertakings encourage operators to make amends and in this case I am heartened to see £60,000 has been donated to the trusts, allowing them to carry out a variety of local projects benefitting the wider community.”

Peter Kellett, Environment Agency director, added: “Enforcement undertakings allow those who commit offences to restore the environment and to take steps to prevent a recurrence.

“When appropriate, they allow a quicker resolution than a prosecution and help offenders who are prepared to take responsibility for their actions to put things right voluntarily working with their local communities.”