It brought on a major decline within the Fylde Aquifer, which is a crucial public water provide for residents within the North West and in addition helps the flows of native rivers.
The over-abstraction throughout a interval of very dry climate in 2018 means the aquifer will take years to get well, the EA mentioned.
We took motion immediately, pleaded responsible and in addition made a £3 million voluntary contribution to native environmental enchancment initiatives
Carol Holt, EA space director for Lancashire, mentioned: “While water companies are allowed to abstract water from the environment, over-abstraction, especially during times of prolonged dry weather, has damaging impacts to our environment.
“Our actions as regulator have led to today’s sentencing and we will continue to strive for a better water sector across the country to protect our precious water supplies now, and for the future.
“We are transforming our approach to regulation, holding the water industry to account and working with water companies such as United Utilities Water Ltd to help them improve.”
United Utilities was prosecuted at Warrington Magistrates’ Court and was handed the effective on Tuesday, after the EA investigation revealed the corporate had taken extra water than was allowed by 5 of its abstraction licences within the Franklaw and Broughton Borehole Complex.
During the listening to, the water firm mentioned it might assist numerous native Rivers Trust schemes to assist the surroundings and that it has made inside enhancements to make sure over-abstraction doesn’t occur once more.
It is completely proper that firms that hurt the environment are held to account by the courts
Grant Batty, water providers director at United Utilities, mentioned: “We apologised for the breach in water abstraction that happened five years ago in 2018.
“We did not exceed the amount of water we could abstract on a daily and yearly basis, but we did inadvertently breach a three-year rolling limit on the abstraction licence. As soon as we discovered this, we established additional controls to ensure it never happens again.
“We took action straight away, pleaded guilty and also made a £3 million voluntary contribution to local environmental improvement projects.”
The EA mentioned its routine inspections of boreholes in Lancashire recognized the over-abstraction and United Utilities was required at hand over knowledge on the quantity of water taken for the evaluation, which revealed the extent of the offence.
Water minister Rebecca Pow mentioned: “It is absolutely right that companies that harm our environment are held to account by the courts, as has happened with United Utilities today.
“Through our Plan for Water we are driving forward work to improve our water system and deliver the change people want to see – including tougher enforcement, tighter regulation of water companies and increased investment.”
