Image description: Groups of people enjoying the beach at Whitstable. Photo by Seongyeon Jo on Unsplash

Southern Water has been fined £2.4m following multiple pollution incidents affecting coastal and freshwater environments around Faversham and Whitstable between 2019 and 2021. The prosecution, heard at Bromley Magistrates’ Court, is the Environment Agency’s second successful action against the company this year, coming just weeks after Southern Water received a £7.1m penalty for pollution that forced the closure of several beaches in Thanet. The company pleaded guilty to all five charges, which related to the release of untreated sewage, sewage debris, diesel and waste matter into the sea and a local brook across a two-year period, including two simultaneous incidents at different locations.

Read more:

Environment Agency: Statement and details of the fine here.

You can read further coverage via ITV and Water Magazine.