ESG Enforcement Tracker

Southern Water was handed a record fine of £90 million in July 2021 after pleading guilty to 51 counts of discharging untreated sewage into the sea. At the time, this was the largest fine ever handed down for environmental pollution.

In total, during a six-year period between January 2010 and December 2015, there had been almost 7,000 discharges of untreated sewage at 17 separate sites across the North Kent coast and the Solent. This had a major adverse impact on water quality in these areas and also affected local businesses, such as a local oyster company which took the decision to stop harvesting oysters because of high levels of norovirus resulting from sewage discharges.

The fine followed the largest criminal investigation ever carried out by the EA. When handing down the fine, Mr Justice Johnson remarked that Southern Water’s actions showed “a shocking and wholesale disregard for the environment.” He found that each of the offences had involved an intentional breach of, or flagrant disregard for, the law by Southern Water’s board of directors.