- Southern Water has been fined more than £2.4 million at Bromley Magistrates' Court over five environmental pollution incidents in Kent between 2019 and 2021.
- The illegal discharges of raw sewage and a diesel leak polluted Swalecliffe Brook, Faversham Creek, and Whitstable Harbour, killing around 70 fish.
- Pollution from the wastewater facilities prompted Canterbury City Council to issue public health warnings advising against swimming at local beaches during peak holiday seasons.
- The penalty follows a separate £7 million fine imposed on the company in July over illegal sewage dumping at Broadstairs and Margate.
- Southern Water apologised for the pollution, attributing the spills to extreme rainfall and noting it has since invested over £35 million in network improvements.
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