Bradford-based Yorkshire Water has been fined £12,000 after a mechanical fault at a pumping station discharged sewage into the River Calder, near Brighouse .
The water utility company was also ordered to pay full costs of £913.42 to the Environment Agency, which brought the case.
Huddersfield Magistrates heard yesterday that out of three pumps that should be present at a pumping station, two did not work and the third – meant to be a standby pump – had been sent away for repair.
Yorkshire Water claimed it was extreme for both pumps to fail at the same time and said the incident was caused by electrical and mechanical failures. The company said it had no intention to cause the discharge, and there was no or little environmental damage caused.
Yorkshire Water holds a consent to discharge, which allows it to discharge settled sewage in an emergency at Huddersfield sewage treatment works into the River Calder.
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