Southern Water admits to sea pollution

Southern Water has officially admitted guilt in connection with a series of serious pollution incidents affecting both the sea and inland waterways in north Kent. The Environment Agency charged the company with releasing untreated sewage, diesel, and other waste products between 2019 and 2021, marking a troubling trend in their operational management. Investigations revealed disturbing details, including sewage cascading down roads from treatment plants, leading to significant environmental concerns.

In one alarming instance from July 2019, locals reported seeing and smelling oil in Swalecliffe Brook in Whitstable, prompting Environment Agency officials to investigate. They discovered that diesel from a local wastewater treatment plant had leaked into the brook due to a generator failure. The contamination reached the sea, resulting in public warnings advising residents and pets to stay clear of the water. Dawn Theaker, the Environment Agency’s water industry regulation manager in the South East, stated “All of these pollution incidents could have been avoided if Southern Water had managed operations more carefully, and had in place the necessary checks to deal with problems when they occurred.”

The troubling incidents continued into 2020, shortly before the pandemic began, when Southern Water released untreated sewage into two inland waterways on consecutive days. In early March 2020, untreated sewage flowed into Faversham Creek from a malfunctioning wastewater station, while Swalecliffe Brook was again affected, raising alarms of environmental degradation. The Environment Agency reddened the alarms as sewage and debris were found polluting the brook and eventually the sea.

In October 2020, Southern Water experienced a nearly identical issue, further burdening their reputation amid ongoing scrutiny. Additional pollution events in 2021 revealed continued discharges of untreated sewage directly into the sea and Swalecliffe Brook shortly after the company received a record £90 million fine for previous illegal discharges. Investigators reported that on 6 August 2021, untreated sewage poured into the already beleaguered Swalecliffe Brook, leading to the discovery of around 70 dead fish, including eels. Canterbury City Council was prompted to post warnings along local beaches, advising against swimming due to poor water quality stemming from these incidents.

The Environment Agency filed five charges against Southern Water, all contravening the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016. These charges include allowing the discharge of sewage effluent into Faversham Creek and polluting coastal waters with diesel and untreated sewage at various times over the past few years. Southern Water’s admission of guilt at Medway magistrates’ court on 7 April marks a significant step in holding the company accountable. Sentencing is expected to take place at a future date, amid ongoing calls from the Environment Agency for stricter regulations and more rigorous inspections in the water industry. The fallout from these incidents continues to resonate, reflecting a broader concern over environmental practices in the UK water sector, which has seen over 70 prosecutions leading to more than £153 million in fines since 2015