27 Aug 2026
Image description: Water surface reflecting sunlight. Photo by Stuart Timms on Unsplash A Planning Inspectorate hearing into Southern Water’s applications for a drought order on the River Test and a non-essential use ban began on 25 August, as continued dry conditions place mounting pressure on water resources across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. […]
25 Aug 2026
Photo by Annie Spratt The Environment Agency issued bathing warnings for three Isle of Wight beaches this week after storm overflows released sewage-contaminated water following heavy rain, reviving long-running concerns about the resilience of the island’s sewer network. The agency advised against swimming at Gurnard, Shanklin and Bembridge on Wednesday 19 August, with Southern Water’s own Rivers and Sea Watch service listing around 15 further locations where an “outfall release within the last 24 hours” may have affected water quality. Multiple […]
23 Jul 2026
Photo credit: Daniele Levis Pelusi The Environment Agency has confirmed that it is bringing criminal proceedings against Southern Water Services Limited, four former employees and three further individuals, following an Administrative Court judgment on 22 July that upheld the Agency’s power to prosecute for offences connected to its regulatory functions. The four former staff, including former chief executive […]
21 Jul 2026
Photo Credit: AdobeStock Southern Water has been fined £7,127,083 at Canterbury Crown Court for a series of illegal sewage discharges from pumping stations at Margate and Broadstairs between 2019 and 2021 that led Thanet District Council to close beaches at the height of successive summers. The company pleaded guilty earlier this year to 13 […]
16 Jul 2026
Photo credit: Anthony de Sigley – Own work, Public Domain Southern Water has pleaded guilty to two environmental permit breaches after a dark plume of pollution entered the River Test in Hampshire. The company admitted the charges at Medway Magistrates Court on 14 July, with two further charges to be taken into consideration. Sentencing will follow at […]
25 Jun 2026
Description: A close up of someone’s hands as they count out coins. Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash Southern Water has secured the final £300 million of a £1.2 billion equity package, with most of the new capital coming from Asterion Industrial Partners. The Madrid-based infrastructure investor will join the Macquarie-led consortium as a minority shareholder […]
18 Jun 2026
Image description: Red floor tiles under a thin layer of water. Photo by Annie Agarwal on Unsplash Southern Water has announced an £11 million investment in Hampshire to cut groundwater flooding risk after this winter’s severe wet weather. The programme will include sewer sealing work to prevent groundwater entering the network, alongside resilience measures […]
09 Jun 2026
Photo by Lison Zhao The Environment Agency issued pollution alerts at four Isle of Wight beaches following a sewage release by Southern Water, with bathers warned to stay out of the water at Totland Bay and Colwell Bay on the island’s west coast. Similar warnings were also in place at Gurnard Bay and Ryde. Southern Water attributed […]
