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Southern Water hit with second multi-million-pound sewage fine
The company admitted five offences after sewage, diesel and waste entered waterways, with investigators finding about 70 dead fish and eels.
- On Monday, Bromley Magistrates' Court fined Southern Water £2,416,666.67 after the company admitted five environmental offenses involving raw sewage, diesel, and waste released into waterways around Whitstable and Faversham between 2019 and 2021.
- Investigators found roughly 70 dead fish, including eels, in August 2021 after raw sewage spilled into Swalecliffe Brook from a pumping station, following earlier diesel leaks and pump failures in July 2019 and March 2020.
- Canterbury City Council installed warning signs along Herne Bay and Tankerton beaches, advising against swimming for nearly a week due to poor water quality, while Environment Agency officers deployed absorbent booms to limit pollution.
- A Southern Water spokesperson apologised, attributing incidents to "extremely heavy rainfall which overwhelmed our network," while the company claimed more than £35 million invested in and around Swalecliffe since April 2020 and a 36% reduction in storm overflows since 2023.
- This ruling follows a £7 million penalty in July concerning sewage discharges at other Kent pumping stations, and Southern Water is due back in court in December over unrelated alleged pollution incidents, including flooding of 49 homes and businesses in Herne Bay.
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The IndependentReposted by 
The Independent (US)
The Independent (US)Water firm fined over pollution that killed dozens of fish and eels
The water firm says the pollution happened during ‘extremely heavy rainfall which overwhelmed our network’
·London, United Kingdom
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Southern Water hit with fresh £2.4m fine just months after £7m penalty
Southern Water was fined £2.4m over five pollution offences between 2019 and 2021.Sewage and diesel affected waterways, beaches and a shellfishery around Kent.The company was also fined more than £7m in July over sewage discharges in Margate and Broadstairs.Southern Water has been fined £2.4 million over a series of pollution incidents in Kent, adding to the company's environmental penalties this year.The latest fine was imposed at Bromley Magis…
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Total News Sources10
Leaning Left4Leaning Right0Center3Last UpdatedBias Distribution57% Left
Bias Distribution
- 57% of the sources lean Left
57% Left
L 57%
C 43%
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