United Utilities has been hit with a record £900,000 fine and ordered to pay a total of £964,225 including costs after a major sewage pollution incident along Lancashire's Fylde Coast in June 2023.

The Warrington-based utility pleaded guilty to five environmental permit offences linked to the discharge of raw sewage into the Irish Sea for more than 35 hours. Preston Magistrates' Court ordered the company to pay a total of £964,225 in fines and costs following an investigation by the Environment Agency.

The Environment Agency issued “no bathing” advice across all eight designated bathing waters, while sewage modelling showed the plume reached seven of them. Three shellfish beds were also temporarily closed over public health concerns.

The pollution followed the partial collapse of a final effluent pipe at Fleetwood Wastewater Treatment Works, which reduced the site's capacity and caused sewage to back up through the wider network. The Environment Agency found that subsequent discharges breached the conditions of United Utilities’ environmental permits.

The incident caused significant disruption to tourism and coastal businesses, with Blackpool among the areas affected. United Utilities said it spent around £38m responding to and repairing the incident, including constructing a two-kilometre temporary bypass, installing additional pumping equipment and deploying tankers. The company also made a voluntary £250,000 payment to Blackpool Council after images of Blackpool Tower were used in media coverage of the pollution.

United Utilities was fined £900,000, ordered to pay £62,225 in Environment Agency prosecution costs and a £2,000 victim surcharge. The company provides water and wastewater services to around seven million people across North West England, including areas such as Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Cumbria and Cheshire.

The fine comes amid heightened public and political scrutiny of the UK's water industry over sewage discharges and environmental performance. Campaigners have increasingly called for tougher enforcement action against water companies responsible for pollution incidents.

Andy Brown, Environment Agency’s water regulation manager said: "This was an unacceptable pollution incident which had far-reaching consequences for residents and businesses along the Fylde Coast. Our investigation found that United Utilities Water Limited discharged sewage outside the conditions of its environmental permits. The company admitted those breaches, and today’s fine reflects the seriousness of the offences and the harm caused.

"Water companies have a fundamental responsibility to properly manage their assets and comply with the environmental permits designed to protect our rivers, seas and communities. When they fail to do so, we will hold them to account."

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