SOUTH West Water was been ordered to pay £10,785 in fines and costs in the first ever prosecution taken against a water company under new self monitoring rules.

Appearing before Barnstaple magistrates last Thursday, the company pleaded guilty to discharging poor quality effluent from its sewage treatment works at Bude. The case was brought by the Environment Agency.

Earlier this year a new system called Operator Self Monitoring was introduced by the Agency. It means water companies are now required to routinely sample effluent at sewage treatment works to ensure they meet the required standards.

Under the new system samples must be sent to an accredited laboratory for analysis. If any samples fail to achieve the standard required under a site's discharge consent, the water company must notify the agency.

On April 27, 2009, South West Water informed the agency that a sample taken at Bude sewage treatment works was non-compliant. The sample, taken on April 14, exceeded the permitted level for suspended solids (250 mg/litre) with a reading of 349 mg/ litre.

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