Company fined after discharging 1.8m litres of contaminated water into burn

A North Lanarkshire company which manufactures collagen cases for sausage products has been fined after admitting discharging 1.8 million litres of contaminated water into a burn in an “entirely preventable” incident.

The incident occurred in July 2021 after a fat blockage in the waste drainage system of Moodiesburn-based Devro (Scotland) Limited caused the contents of an effluent pipe to back up.

On reaching a “dual manhole”, the contents of the waste pipe spilled over into a surface water pipe used to channel surface and storm water into the Bothlin burn.

The Crown Office said 1.8 million litres of wastewater containing fat and chemicals flowed into the burn – including high levels of ammonia and elevated levels of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD).

The contamination provoked multiple calls to Scottish Water and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) from members of the public, who reported the burn having a “milky, opaque appearance” and giving off a “horrible” smell.

Samples taken by Sepa showed the discharge had caused “short-term gross pollution” in the burn, with ammonia levels up to 350 times greater than the environmental quality standard, and up to 40 times greater than that for BOD.

Sepa ecology surveys concluded that the effects on aquatic life in the Bothlin burn had been “devastating”, with a number of dead fish and invertebrates being found at several locations along the burn and Luggie Water.

The Crown Office said Devro pleaded guilty to a breach of water environment legislation on December 2.

At Airdrie Sheriff Court on Tuesday, the company was fined £48,000 and ordered to pay a £3,600 victim surcharge.

Iain Batho, who leads on environmental matters for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), said: “This incident was both foreseeable and preventable.

“Whilst Devro did take certain measures to prevent such an incident occurring, these measures were not sufficient.

“This is now the company’s second conviction involving them polluting the Bothlin burn.

“This incident had a significant impact on the burn itself and the wildlife within it.

“It also led to considerable public concern regarding water pollution.

“COPFS takes environmental crime seriously and will prosecute individuals and companies where there is sufficient evidence of a crime, and where it is in the public interest to do so.”

Shona McConnell, head of environmental performance geographic at Sepa, said: “This was a serious and entirely avoidable pollution incident that caused significant harm to a local watercourse.

“Our investigation found that a blocked foul sewer led to a substantial volume of highly polluting trade effluent wrongly escaping via the site’s surface water system.

“Devro (Scotland) Limited have since removed the dual manhole drainage system. Infrastructure like this, and lack of maintenance, poses real risks.

“Businesses must ensure that their drainage systems are properly understood, regularly maintained and, crucially, designed to protect against this kind of failure.

“We would encourage any operators using dual manhole systems, or who are uncertain, to review their drainage layout, to take urgent steps to understand the risks and to put controls in place.

“Sepa expect all businesses to take responsibility for protecting Scotland’s water environment and where they don’t, we will take action.”

A spokesperson for Devro (Scotland) Limited said: “We acknowledge and sincerely regret the incident at Bothlin Burn.

“We take this matter very seriously and have worked closely with the relevant authorities to implement prompt and appropriate measures.

“We emphasise our commitment to continuous improvement of environmental protection and sustainability development.”