South West Water has been ordered to pay £12,100 for "woefully inadequate" repairs to a sewage treatment works in North Devon, which caused a stream to be polluted, a court heard.
Effluent from a stream near Winkleigh was found to be half the strength of crude sewage, after black bin bags and plastic cable ties were used to repair damage at the nearby Hollocombe Sewage Treatment Works, magistrates were told.
An officer from the Environment Agency reported the bed of the stream, known as Hollocombe water, was covered in sewage fungus, a sign of long-term pollution, when carrying out an inspection in August 2012.
She also noted that a pipe in the treatment works, which also failed an annual inspection the previous year, had been poorly repaired, causing sewage to leak from a device known as a tipping bucket.
The pipe was joined to a larger pipe with cable ties and black plastic bin bags used to seal the ends.
Sue Smillie, from the Environment Agency, who carried out the inspection, said: "Water companies must carry out regular maintenance of all their sewage treatment works to safeguard the environment and protect human health.
"The poor level of maintenance at this site suggests South West Water sets a very low priority on some of its small rural sewage works.
"The residents of Hollocombe pay their water rates and expect their sewage to be properly treated."
South West Water pleaded guilty to two offences at Barnstaple magistrates, and were ordered to pay a £10,000 fine and £2,100 costs.