Home / Environment / Kent Rivers Polluted Weeks After Record Fine
Kent Rivers Polluted Weeks After Record Fine
28 Apr
Summary
- Southern Water admitted new sewage discharges after a large penalty.
- Dead fish were found in Swalecliffe Brook after an August 2021 spill.
- The company previously received a £90 million fine for illegal dumping.
Southern Water has admitted to new sewage pollution discharges in Kent, despite being handed a record £90 million penalty in July 2021 for previous illegal dumping. These recent incidents occurred just weeks after the initial punishment was issued.
In August 2021, Southern Water plants in Whitstable discharged pollution into the sea and Swalecliffe Brook. Investigators found approximately 70 dead fish, including eels, in the brook. Canterbury City Council issued swimming advisories for Tankerton and Herne Bay beaches due to water quality concerns.
Additionally, Southern Water pleaded guilty to diesel entering Swalecliffe Brook and the sea in July 2019 from a leaking generator. The company also admitted to dumping untreated sewage on three days in March 2020 and again in October 2020 into Faversham Creek and Swalecliffe Brook after pump failures.
The Environment Agency stated that these pollution events were preventable with better operational management and checks. Southern Water will be sentenced at Medway Magistrates' Court on a date yet to be confirmed.
