R v Thames Water Utilities Limited (22 January 1999) Magistrates' Court

United Kingdom

The Environment Agency brought a charge under Section 24 of the Water Resources Act 1991 for over-abstraction of water against Thames Water Utilities Limited. Routine checks by an Environment Agency enforcement officer revealed that on 4 September 1998, Thames Water Utilities Ltd had exceeded its daily limit of 13,638 cubic metres by 3,270 cubic metres at Amwell Hill Pumping Station. A further check revealed that there had been a daily over abstraction between 1 and 13 September 1998. Thames Water Utilities Limited pleaded guilty to the single charge and was fined the maximum penalty of £5,000 and was order to pay £700 in costs.
(Environment Agency News Release, 18 January 1999)