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Water charges

13th May 1993, Page 101
13th May 1993
Page 101
Page 101, 13th May 1993 — Water charges
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

• Workshop operators face huge damages for contaminating the water supply—even if the pollution was accidental and took place before it became illegal.

In a test case the Court of Appeal has ordered Eastern Counties Leather to pay the Cambridge Water Company over Elm to replace a borehole contaminated with tetrachlorethene (PCE) which it used to degrease hides.

The contamination took place some time before 1976 when Cambridge Water bought its site at Sawston Mill as a water source and the EC limit on PCE did not come into force until 1980. An industry source summed it up as "making the rules up after the game's been played".

Eastern Counties is considering an appeal to the Law Lords.