A long-running brewery based in Swindon has been accused of discharging dangerous waste.

Arkell's Brewery faces 15 charges of discharging harmful liquids into the water system from its site on Hyde Road in Kingsdown.

The charges read out at Swindon Magistrates Court were of 'contravening a condition of consent under section 121 of the Water Industry Act 1991 for discharging trade effluent.

While it is not clear exactly what the brewery is supposed to have discharged, the full wording of the charges are below.

Four relate to an alleged discharge on September 17, 2021, where the trade effluent had a pH level of 4.8 rather than between 6 and 11, contained 386mg per litre of rapidly settleable solids when the maximum allowed was 100mg/l, included a chemical oxygen demand level of 33,850mg/l despite the agreed limit being 30,000mg/l, and contained 45.57mg/l of phosphorus when it should not have had more than 30mg/l.

Other charges claim that a discharge of trade effluent on September 24, 2021 had a pH level of 3.7 and contained 1,200mg/l rather than 1,000mg/l of rapidly settleable solids and 32.7mg/l of phosphorus.

On October 7, 2021, the brewery allegedly discharged trade effluent with a pH level of 5.6 which contained 836mg/l of rapidly settleable solids and 37.95mg/l of phosphorus.

It is said that Arkell's discharged trade effluent on October 26, 2021, which had a pH level of 5.7 and a chemical oxygen demand level of 41,100mg/l, and included 298mg/l and 1,404mg/l  of rapidly settleable solids.

Arkells Brewery is expected to enter a plea at Swindon Crown Court on December 4.