Southern Water faced a hefty fine of over £7 million at Canterbury Crown Court for unlawfully discharging sewage off the Kent coast, resulting in significant harm to the local environment and tourism. The company, held responsible for a series of repeated incidents spanning several years, admitted to 13 violations at Medway Magistrates’ Court last April related to sewage discharges at Margate and Broadstairs wastewater pumping stations between 2019 and 2021.
During the sentencing proceedings, it was revealed that some of the sewage discharged into the waters was “unscreened,” indicating the presence of solid waste. The offenses included nine instances of untreated sewage discharge off the Kent coast and three cases of failing to promptly notify authorities of discharges within the stipulated timeframe of 24 hours following a warning, as required by its environmental permit. Another violation was the absence of a standby pump at Margate’s station between July 27, 2019, and October 4, 2020, breaching its permit conditions.
The sentencing, spread over two days at Canterbury Crown Court, culminated in a total fine of £7,127,083 imposed by Mr. Justice Johnson. This penalty was levied after the company had previously been fined £90 million for nearly 7,000 incidents in Hampshire, Kent, and Sussex in a case prosecuted by the Environment Agency in 2021.