Having damaged
water quality in the river Trent, one Stoke company pleaded guilty at Stafford Magistrates Court to causing sewage pollution.
Strongford Sewage Treatment Works, which treats sewage from Stoke-on-Trent and the surrounding area, is alleged to have released effluent of a brown colour and with a sulphurous smell earlier this year.
Samples showed there were significantly reduced levels of dissolved oxygen in the water, causing a marked deterioration in
water quality, which measured in at the lowest band on the Environment Agency scale.
An officer involved in the investigation said that the incident could have wiped out wildlife near to the works.
"It is vitally important that companies have measures in place to ensure that pollution incidents such as this cannot happen," stated the representative.
They added that the agency - which aims to protect and improve the environment and to promote sustainable development - will not hesitate to prosecute where companies do not take their responsibilities seriously.
Written by Claire Manning
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