Swale council is demanding a meeting with Southern Water after it was found to have dumped 21 billion litres of raw sewage off the Kent coast.

Waters around Eastchurch, Queenborough, Sittingbourne and Teynham were affected, with large numbers of shellfish in The Swale made unfit for human consumption.

The water company admitted the illegal discharges, from 2010 to 2015, and was fined a record £90m at Canterbury Crown Court in July.

But now Swale councillors want the firm to answer questions over the damage caused to the environment, residents’ health and local businesses.

An agenda for a council meeting at the end of last month, which was cancelled due to rising Covid cases, said: “This criminal activity has put the health of residents and visitors to Swale at risk through the contamination of the seas of the north Kent coast and the contamination of local seafood, damaged the reputation of local beaches and the local environment and harmed local businesses involved with the harvesting of seafood.”

A motion was to be put forward by Cllr Julian Saunders and Cllr Monique Bonney, requesting the authority write to water services regulator Ofwat and the Environment Agency, urging them to provide compensation to local authorities and businesses. They also want to write to MPs, asking them to review the management of private companies in the water industry.

Cllr Julian Saunders said: “The details are totally shocking. I can only agree with the judge who stated that these offences showed a wholesale disregard for the environment, for precious and delicate ecosystems and coastlines, for human health and for fisheries and other legitimate businesses.

'This criminal activity put the health of residents and visitors to Swale at risk...'

“It is a particular concern that the investigation that led to the prosecution began after oyster beds in the River Swale were found to be contaminated and that sewage escapes were found at four plants in Swale - Eastchurch, Queenborough, Sittingbourne and Teynham.

“We will be seeking an early meeting with Southern Water to find out more about what actions it has taken in Swale to ensure that local water treatment plants are operating legally and safely now and how much of the additional investment promised by the company in the last few days is coming to the borough.

“Data on pollution incidents involving water companies for 2020 shows that Southern Water was responsible for almost four times as many incidents as neighbouring water companies so it has a long way to go to deliver on its stated ambition that by 2025 its operations will cause no serious pollution incidents affecting local rivers, streams and beaches.

“It also needs to deliver on the openness and transparency it is promising if it is to build the trust of local communities in Swale.”​

For the majority of the time of the leaks, from 2011, Matthew Wright was chief executive at Southern Water, earning around £700,000, excluding bonuses.

He is now the UK managing director for renewable energy company Ørsted.

Speaking after the sentencing, current chief executive Ian McAulay, who joined in 2017, apologised for the dumping.

He said: “I know that the people who rely on us to be custodians of the precious environment in southern England must be able to trust us.

“What happened historically was completely unacceptable and Southern Water pleaded guilty to the charges in recognition of that. We heard what the judge said and will reflect closely on the sentence and his remarks. He rightly put the environment front and centre which is what matters to all of us.”

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