A Welsh cake company Memory Lane Cakes was prosecuted by the Natural Resources Wales (NRW) for polluting a local stream with untreated dishwater.
In April 2019 the NRW was contacted by a member of the public who reported sewage type smells in the stream at Heath Park in Cardiff. Officers who responded to the incident reported 380 metres of the stream covered in sewage fungus, which caused all the invertebrates along that stretch of the brook to die.
Following an investigation the source of pollution was tracked where the cake-making company had incorrectly connected the wastewater from dishwashing to the surface water sewer, instead of the foul sewer, resulting in the release of around 800 litres of water a day that was contaminated with eggs, butter, sugar and flour, into the stream.
The company has since fixed the incorrect wastewater connection and the dishwashing water is now connected to a foul sewer where it is sent for treatment.
On 14 January 2022, the company was fined £26,300 at Cardiff Magistrates' Court after pleading guilty to polluting the stream with wastewater from its bakery. They were also ordered to pay £13,000 costs and a £190 victim surcharge.
Following the sentencing, the NRW Head of Operations, Michael Evans, said: "Misconnected waste pipes can end up polluting Wales' rivers, damaging the environment and harming local wildlife.
"By not ensuring its waste pipes were connected correctly, the wastewater from the Memory Land Cakes site polluted the Wedal Brook for a long time. This resulted in sewage fungus killing all life in the river for hundreds of metres downstream.
"We hope the outcome of this case clearly demonstrates that anyone polluting Wales' rivers will be pursued through the courts if necessary and could face large fines due to their actions.
"We will continue our efforts to educate people and businesses about the impact misconnected pipes can have on the environment."
