ESG Enforcement Tracker

In July 2023, Fish Legal initiated a private prosecution against Southern Water, alleging allege that pollution entered the river Test from a Southern Water outfall.

The river Test is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and supports a host of wildlife species, including Atlantic salmon, otters and water voles.

Southern Water denies responsibility for any pollution at the river Test, buta spokesperson said: “In June 2021, we were made aware of a release of diesel in the area of the Nursling Industrial Estate that escaped into the little river Test. Our teams worked quickly, and with other agencies, to protect the watercourse and surrounding environment.”

In February 2024, before Southampton Magistrates’ Court, the water company pleaded not guilty to four criminal charges related to the pollution entering the river. The trial date has been set for later this year.