FOUR water pollution incidents in Barnsley’s watercourses which were deemed to have had a ‘significant impact’ on wildlife were not investigated immediately, a Freedom of Information request has found.
Environment Agency figures show there were 212 water pollution incidents in Barnsley between 2018 and 2023, just 53 of which were visited immediately by staff.
This means they were attended within two hours of a report coming in, or within four hours outside of the normal working day a definition set by the organisation.
Of the 159 of those not visited immediately, four were category two incidents, which are classed as having a ‘significant impact’.
The remainder were category three, meaning they were judged as having a ‘minor or minimal’ impact on the environment.
Environment Agency bosses said there are many reasons for not visiting pollution incidents straight away, with some being handled remotely or through emergency services.
A spokesperson said: “We assess and record every incident report we receive, between 70,000 and 100,000 a year.
“We respond to every incident and always attend those where there is a significant risk.
“We take our responsibility to protect the environment very seriously and will always pursue and prosecute companies that are deliberately obstructive or misleading.
“While criminal prosecutions can be lengthy processes, since 2015 we have concluded 63 prosecutions against water companies securing fines of over £151m.
“We are recruiting more staff, increasing compliance checks and water company inspections, and visiting more water pollution incidents.”
Water pollution is the release of substances into bodies of water that makes water unsafe for human use and disrupts aquatic ecosystems.
It can be caused by a plethora of different contaminants, including toxic waste, petroleum and disease-causing microorganisms.
Seven ‘major’ and 88 ‘significant’ events were not attended within the agency’s target timeframe across the country in 2023, a rise on three and 58 incidents respectively the year before.
There were 22 water pollution events registered in Barnsley last year, nine of which were linked to a water company.
A spokesperson for industry body Water UK added: “No pollution incident is ever acceptable and this is why water companies have proposed to invest £105bn a near-doubling of current levels to upgrade our network.
“We need Ofwat to approve our plans in full so we can get on with it.”
Barnsley North MP Dan Jarvis warned the figures could be under-reported.
“Water is not just another commodity, it’s a vital public resource we have to manage it fairly and we have to manage it effectively.
“Above all, we have to manage it for the public good.
“Take sewage the figures are almost certainly under-estimates, because the previous government slashed monitoring budgets.
“Left to police themselves, water companies have inevitably under-reported releases.
“The Environment Agency’s £1.6bn budget looks generous, but three-fifths goes to much-needed flood prevention.
“Since 2010, environmental protection funding has dropped 80 per cent, and for enforcement 40 per cent.
“Prosecutions fell from almost 800 in 2007/08 to just 17 in 2020/21, while farms are inspected on average once in 200 years.
“The task to reform the water industry is huge and we have to get it right.
“This is not some operational issue solved by small tweaks to the failing system.
“It’s a systemic problem requiring transformative action.”
