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Northumbrian Water Group

Controversies

Controversies tied to this brand in public sources. A listing is not a finding of fault.

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  1. 2022

    Northumbrian Water and JW Colpitts fined after worker injury

    Fine or penalty

    Newcastle upon Tyne Magistrates’ Court fined Northumbrian Water Limited £365,000 and JW Colpitts & Co Limited £30,000 after both companies pleaded guilty to health and safety breaches. The case concerned a 2018 incident in which a worker was struck by a suspended water valve; an HSE investigation found failures in risk assessment, safety measures, and supervision.

    Source excerpt

    • A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that both companies had failed to risk assess the work and the additional hazards introduced by a change in the scope of work.
    • A Blyth-based contractor and a water management company have been fined a combined total of £395,000 after a worker was hit by a 1.5 tonne water valve.
    • They were fined £365,000 and ordered to pay costs of £14,360.69 and a victim surcharge of £120.
    Source

  2. 2021

    Northumbrian Water fined for sewage pollution

    Fine or penalty

    Durham Crown Court fined Northumbrian Water £540,000 and ordered it to pay costs and a victim surcharge after the company pleaded guilty to discharging sewage effluent into a watercourse near Castle Eden. The Environment Agency said the pollution damaged the watercourse’s ecology and habitat and affected water quality.

    Company response

    • Remediation — Northumbrian Water

      Northumbrian Water began immediate work to clear the blockage that day as well as remedial work to make improvements. A longer term solution to re-route the sewer out of the Dene is underway.

    Source excerpt

    • They were fined £540,000 and ordered to pay costs of more than £142,000 and a £170 victim surcharge.
    • Surveys later found the ecology and habitat of the watercourse was damaged for 2km, with river sample results indicating a detrimental impact on water quality for 4km.
    • Northumbrian Water has been fined more than half a million pounds for polluting a watercourse in a prosecution brought by the Environment Agency.
    Source