Live Roundups Editor's Desk Insights Executive Ops Weather About 🔍
Home › Environment › United Utilities fined £1m after discharging raw sewage...
Environment

United Utilities fined £1m after discharging raw sewage into Lancashire coast

The Guardian UK Tuesday 08 September 2026, 18:04 UTC By Matthew Pearce 1 min read
Key Points

Sewage plume reached seven bathing waters and significantly affected water quality in June 2023United Utilities has been fined nearly £1m after illegally discharging raw sewage into the Lancashire coastline and polluting seaside holiday locations including Blackpool. The water company pleaded guilty to five environmental permit offences relating to a pollution incident along the Fylde coast in June 2023, and was ordered by Preston magistrates court on Tuesday to pay £964,225 in fines and costs.

Sewage plume reached seven bathing waters and significantly affected water quality in June 2023

United Utilities has been fined nearly £1m after illegally discharging raw sewage into the Lancashire coastline and polluting seaside holiday locations including Blackpool.

The water company pleaded guilty to five environmental permit offences relating to a pollution incident along the Fylde coast in June 2023, and was ordered by Preston magistrates court on Tuesday to pay £964,225 in fines and costs.

Continue reading...
United Utilities (ORG) Lancashire (LOCATION) Utilities (ORG) Blackpool (LOCATION) Preston (ORG)
Originally published by The Guardian UK Read original →

Related Stories

United Utilities fined £1m after discharging raw sewage into Lancashire coast

Sewage plume reached seven bathing waters and significantly affected water quality in June 2023United Utilities has been fined nearly £1m after illegally discharging raw sewage into the Lancashire coastline and polluting seaside holiday locations including Blackpool. The water company pleaded guilty to five environmental permit offences relating to a pollution incident along the Fylde coast in June 2023, and was ordered by Preston magistrates court on Tuesday to pay £964,225 in fines and costs.

The Guardian Business 1h ago

United Utilities fined £1m after discharging raw sewage into Lancashire coast

Sewage plume reached seven bathing waters and significantly affected water quality in June 2023United Utilities has been fined nearly £1m after illegally discharging raw sewage into the Lancashire coastline and polluting seaside holiday locations including Blackpool. The water company pleaded guilty to five environmental permit offences relating to a pollution incident along the Fylde coast in June 2023, and was ordered by Preston magistrates court on Tuesday to pay £964,225 in fines and costs.

The Guardian World 1h ago

Parakeets found shot by catapults in London park

The Greenwich Wildlife Network says the birds have been killed by young people using catapults.

BBC England 1h ago

Why growing seaweed isn’t a climate solution

Kelp farmers at work in Shandong province, ChinaYang Zhili/VCG via Getty Images Growing seaweed has long been seen as a way to slow climate change. But this approach is mistaken, a new study argues, as the loss of seaweed emits far more carbon than what is being absorbed by attempts to grow it. Seaweeds absorb an estimated 3.7 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide through photosynthesis every year, drawing it from seawater, which then draws more CO2 from the air above.

New Scientist 2h ago