Northumbrian Water admitted two breaches of law after manhole collapse led to sewer blockage
A water company has been fined £240,000 after a damaged manhole led to two unauthorised sewage discharges into a stream.
Untreated sewage leaked into Coundon Burn in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, on 13 March 2017. A member of the public rang Northumbrian Water after seeing effluent in the stream, and the firm – which had a turnover of £834.6m that year – sent workers to free a sewer blockage.