Following a successful prosecution by the Environment Agency, Anglian Water has been fined £300,000 for illegally discharging sewage into a watercourse that feeds into the Broads Special Area of Conservation in Norfolk.

On 5 December 2024, Anglian Water Services Limited was sentenced at Basildon Magistrates Court to pay a fine of £300,000, alongside £21,896.56 in costs and a £171 victim surcharge. Anglian Water pleaded guilty earlier in the year.

Photo credit: Peter Day

The pollution happened on 5 November 2018, when an Anglian Water pumping station in Ormesby St Margaret, Norfolk, discharged untreated sewage into Spring Dyke. The Dyke feeds into Ormesby Broad which is a public water supply and a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

Samples taken by Environment Agency officers found high levels of ammonia in the polluted water. Thousands of fish were killed and had to be removed, and many more were seen in distress, so aerators were installed to prevent further impact.

Anglian Water has pleaded guilty to the charges. Read the company’s response here.