WATER giants United Utilities have been fined £10,000 after admitting illegally releasing raw sewage into a Risley brook.
The pollution, which happened in August last year, affected five kilometres of brooks in Woolston Park, Risley and Padgate before joining the Mersey.
Investigating officer, Sharon Holliday, from the Environment Agency, said: "We were notified by a member of the public on August 22 that the brook passing through Poulton Golf Course was black.
"We found the water in the brook and a pond on Birchwood Golf Course was brown with evidence of sewage solids."
The source of the sewage was traced back to United Utilities' unmanned Warrington Road Pumping Station om Risley.
United Utilities said they have now introduced procedures to ensure an event like this does not happen again.
The case was heard at Halton Magistrates' Court, Runcorn, on Monday.
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