Northumbrian Water to pay £550,000 for environmental improvements after unauthorised sewage discharged to County Durham and Sunderland streams
18:15, 07 Jul 2026Updated 18:18, 07 Jul 2026
Northumbrian Water has made Enforcement Undertaking offers after the Environment Agency investigated two incidents of pollution
Northumbria Water is to pay over half a million pounds to the Environment Agency following two separate pollution incidents that saw unauthorised sewage discharged into two local North East streams.
The agency accepted the two Enforcement Undertakings totalling £550,000 after separate pollution incidents at Sedgeletch sewage treatment works (STW) in Houghton-le-Spring, Sunderland, and Lanchester STW in Lanchester, County Durham.
The cash will go to environmental charities to bolster improvements and includes habitat restoration as well as work to improve fish migration and reduce pollution. Northumbrian Water made the Enforcement Undertaking offers after Environment Agency investigations into the incidents.
The financial contributions include £350,000 to Wear Rivers Trust for an unauthorised sewage discharge from Sedgeletch STW at Houghton-le-Spring into Moors Burn in September 2020. It affected 5.5km of the burn, resulting in an adverse impact on aquatic life.
The impact can’t be fully attributed to the water company, with two other sources of pollution close to the outfall. The cash will be spent on habitat restoration at Old Durham Beck.
Northumbrian Water will pay a further £200,000 to Durham Wildlife Trust for an unauthorised sewage discharge from Lanchester STW into Smallhope Burn in April 2021. Sampling found elevated ammonia levels downstream of the works, with the investigation revealing the levels had breached the limit allowed by the environmental permit. The cash will be spent on various environmental improvement projects in the catchment.
In addition to the financial contributions, Northumbrian Water has carried out remedial actions at each site as part of the sanctions. This includes changing on-site procedures and installing telemetry at Sedgeletch STW, and around £7m of investment at Lanchester STW. The company will also pay all the Environment Agency’s investigation costs.
The Enforcement Undertakings come amid a strengthened crackdown by the Environment Agency on pollution and poor performance across the water industry. In the last year, a record £8.5 million has been paid by water companies into environmental restoration across the country, almost double the year before.
Rachael Caldwell, Environment Agency water industry regulation manager in the North East, said: “It’s unacceptable that water companies continue to pollute our watercourses. We expect compliance and we will take action where we see breaches.
“We always consider enforcement options on a case by case basis, and these civil sanctions allow wrongdoings to be corrected while contributing to environmental improvements. This £550,000 will be invested back into the local area to enhance the environment, bringing real benefits for people and wildlife.
“We are continuing to drive meaningful improvements in water company performance, clean up waterways and crackdown on persistent offenders.”
Enforcement Undertakings are legally binding agreements between the Environment Agency and companies that have breached environmental rules. The undertaking requires the company to take steps to prevent repetition of the offending and to put right the damage it has caused.
It usually includes a payment to an environmental charity to carry out improvements in the local area. This money can help deliver immediate benefits to the environment, without requiring lengthy and uncertain court proceedings – complementing the Environment Agency’s wider enforcement action against serial offenders.”
A Northumbrian Water spokesperson said: “We work incredibly hard to avoid pollution incidents and are making significant long-term investment to protect and improve rivers, coasts and local environments across the North East.
“Since these incidents, we have continued to invest in our wastewater network and treatment works to help protect the environment and reduce the likelihood of similar issues occurring in future. This includes a £7.8 million upgrade completed at Lanchester sewage treatment works, with a further £6 million investment planned. At Sedgeletch, a £13.6 million programme of work is underway, alongside wider improvements across our network.
“We work closely with the Environment Agency on all reported incidents and, where enforcement undertakings are accepted, these allow the local community to benefit from the funding offered.”
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