14 May 2026
Image description: Close-up of wastewater treatment. Image credit: Pixabay. A significant local commitment Southern Water has announced a £42m programme of infrastructure works targeting sewage spills, storm overflows and pollution incidents across Folkestone and Hythe in Kent. The investment, unveiled at a public event in Folkestone this past week, will focus on wastewater treatment […]
05 May 2026
Photo by Bob Brewer Southern Water has pleaded guilty to five pollution offences in north Kent, including discharges of untreated sewage into coastal waters that occurred just weeks after the company was handed what was then the largest criminal fine ever imposed on a water company. The Environment Agency confirmed on 27 April that […]
14 Apr 2026
Photo by Johannes Heel A pioneering project to deploy floating wetlands in Portsmouth’s coastal waters has been launched by the University of Portsmouth in partnership with Southern Water, the BBC reports, with researchers describing it as a practical, scalable response to the widespread loss of essential coastal ecosystems. The project will see specially designed floating rafts […]
26 Feb 2026
Image description: aerial view of a sewage treatment plan. Image by Patrick Federi on Unsplash Southern Water has completed more than 1,000 actions prompted by an Ofwat investigation in 2019. The actions included operational and compliance improvements across 293 wastewater treatment works, £126 million in penalties and redress, organisational changes, and routine inspections as part of its standard operations. Ofwat says water firm must now go further Following […]
13 Jan 2026
Photo by Chris Mitchell A pollution incident involving millions of plastic bio-beads washing ashore on Sussex beaches has been upgraded to the most serious Category 1 classification by the Environment Agency. The move means Southern Water could face the most severe set of sanctions following investigation into the incident. The micro-beads were accidentally released […]
25 Nov 2025
Photo by Annie Spratt Plastic bio-bead pollution from a Southern Water treatment works failure has now been found in the sensitive saltmarsh habitat at Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, approximately two miles south-west of Camber Sands where millions of the pellets first washed ashore in early November. Sussex Wildlife Trust confirmed on 14 November that monitoring had […]
11 Nov 2025
Photo by Chris Mitchell Southern Water is investigating after millions of contaminated plastic beads washed up on Camber Sands beach, risking an “environmental catastrophe”, according to the local MP. The biobeads could have a dire impact on marine life, with fears rare sea life, including seabirds, porpoises and seals, could ingest them and die. […]
30 Oct 2025
Image description: stainless steel faucet with running water. Photo by Steve Johnson / pexels The UK’s water regulator Ofwat has published its final performance assessment for the 2020–25 investment period, revealing a mixed picture across the sector. The Water Company Performance Report for 2024–25 evaluates service delivery, environmental impact, and customer outcomes across 16 major […]
