A DRINKING water and wastewater operator has been fined £180,000 after an incident that killed about 2,500 fish.

The charges relate to an illegal discharge of crude settled sewage from Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water's Five Fords wastewater treatment plant that polluted stretch of Afon Clywedog near Marchwiel in Wrexham.

The discharge occurred on September 4, 2018 resulting in what is thought to be the largest fish kill in North Wales.

A stretch of about nine kilometres of the river was affected, leading to a massive loss of fish of several species, including brown trout, bullhead, lamprey, stoneloach, salmon, parr, chub, eel, stickleback, perch and minnow.

Sitting at Llandudno Magistrates' Court, Judge Gwyn Jones heard that Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water deeply regretted the incident and that it was completely against the ethos of the company.

The company itself told the court that it was the worst incident of its kind in the area in at least ten years.

The court also heard witness reports of fish forcing their mouths from the water in an effort to respire as ammonia levels in the river went "off the scale".

National Resources Wales told the court that it would take up for six years for the river to recover. The river had a remarkable number of different species.

The incident is of particular public concern as Ysgol Clywedog feeds into the River Dee, which is a Water Protection Zone, Area of Special Scientific Interest, and provides drinking water to approximately two million people in North Wales, Cheshire and Merseyside.

Summing up, Judge Jones said it was refreshing to see members of the company's senior management present in court and that the company had been open and transparent in sharing documents that would not normally be shown in a public court.

The firm accepted that it was at fault.

Imposing a fine of £180,000 plus £25,000 costs, the judge said he had taken into account the company's openness and acceptance of guilt - they had not tried to cut corners or shirk responsibility.

Operation’s Manager at Natural Resources Wales, David Powell said: “We hope the outcome of this case will send out a positive message that Natural Resources Wales will not tolerate those who pollute Wales’ rivers, damaging the environment and risking harm to the local wildlife.

“In this instance, Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water illegally discharged crude settled sewage from the Five Fords wastewater treatment works into the river Clywedog, which led to a significant fish kill along the river.

“Although NRW has worked closely with Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water to restore the river, we believed taking legal action was required due to the significance of the incident.

“We take river pollution seriously and It is essential that we take action in such cases to protect people and the environment.

“This case demonstrates clearly that anyone polluting Wales’ rivers will be pursued through the courts where necessary.”