Interserve has been prosecuted after committing an environmental offence in East Sussex.

The company admitted to a single incident of discharging silt-laden water into a tributary of the River Rother in Burwash on 01 October 2014. It was fined £54,000 with £5,955 in costs.

The company was contracted to South East Water over an 18-month period at the Crowhurst Bridge Water Treatment Works to improve South East Water’s ability to manage water treatment.

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However, the Environment Agency discovered a brown discharge downstream of the Works after a member of the public reported the discoloured water to them.

Further investigations discovered the river was visibly but locally impacted on a temporary basis.

However, in mitigation it was stated this was an isolated incident of 25 minutes duration, the company was of previous good character, and there was no evidence of local wildlife being affected.

David Willis, Environment Manager at the Environment Agency, said: "We take these incidents very seriously and do everything within our powers to safeguard the environment and people that may be affected."

(LM/MH)