NEWSDESK
Textiles company ordered to pay £71,000 for sewer abuse offences
Thames Water have been cracking down on industrial sewer abuse against Ivo Textiles, which was found to have breached the conditions of their industrial waste agreement over the past four years. The items, including ammonia, heavy metals and various materials, jeopardised the final treated effluent produced by the water company, posing a risk to the water company's assets and the environment.
The water company took samples in 2021 and 2022 which showed the textiles and printing company had been committing sewer abuse. Thames Water then met with Ivo Textiles to encourage them to comply with the rules of disposing of waste, however they continued to exceed the allowed levels, which led to legal action.
Ivo Textiles were prosecuted at Uxbridge Magistrates on Monday 20 May, and accumulated fines and costs of over £71,000 which includes £62,000 to the courts and £11,270 to Thames Water to cover legal costs. This comes four years after the first sample was taken and demonstrates the seriousness of exploiting the wastewater system.
Daniel Bourne, Thames Water’s trade effluent manager, said: “Sewer abuse is part of the everyday challenge we face to keep the sewers flowing to remove and treat customers’ wastewater. In the year 2023/24, 81% of blockages across our network were caused by items in the sewer which should have never been there in the first place. Controlling wastewater from industrial premises is critical to ensure we
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deliver life’s essential service and return clean water to our rivers.
“Our work to find and stop these offences helps us to maintain our sewer network and protect the environment. We will always look to work with individuals and companies to educate them on the effects sewer abuse has, but we will take legal action as a last resort where the risk is too high.”
Sewer abuse is a major issue for water companies. Every year, Thames Water removes 75,000 blockages from their sewers at a cost of £18 million per year. In 2023/24, 81% of blockages were caused by unflushable items. That is why they are asking customers and businesses to be responsible when they dispose of waste.
New appointments at Polypipe bring enhanced technical expertise
Drainage and water supply specialist Polypipe Building Services has appointed four new Technical Sales Managers to support specifiers, contractors and merchants across the Midlands, Wales and Southern England.
Rob Graham, Greg Winnard, Kevin Taylor, and Craig Chamberlain will work closely with customers, providing a local point of contact to access the latest technical advice and information.
The four bring with them a wealth of construction industry experience and will each be allocated a geographic area to support. Rob Graham will serve the West and Wales, Kevin Taylor the South East, Greg Winnard North Wales and West Midlands, and Craig Chamberlain the
| August 2024 |
www.draintraderltd.com
Greg Winnard, Technical Sales Manager North Wales & West Midlands
Northern Home Counties and North London.
Regional Director Simon Russell, who heads up the UK team across the Central
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