Southern Water fined £330,000 for sewage spill that killed 2,000 fish

The fine follows a 2019 incident where faulty equipment led to raw sewage contaminating a Hampshire stream, resulting in significant environmental damage.

• Southern Water was fined after a sewage spill from a faulty pumping station led to the death of approximately 2,000 fish in Shawford Lake Stream, Hampshire.
• The Environment Agency identified wrongly programmed relay equipment as the cause, with the spill lasting between five and 20 hours.
• YMCA Fairthorne Manor had to cancel over 1,000 water sports bookings due to the pollution, which also affected a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
• Southern Water has since conducted a comprehensive review of its unmanned pumping stations, leading to a £13 million improvement program.
• In response to the incident, Southern Water compensated the YMCA and established a £140,000 grant scheme for habitat improvement.

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