Southern: more wastewater remediation work and shareholder funding required

(by Verity Mitchell)

Ofwat has confirmed that Southern Water has completed all the enforcement actions resulting from the 2019 investigation into the company. The enforcement action resulted in Southern funding penalties and redress of £126m, alongside delivering improvements to the operation of its wastewater treatment works, compliance and governance processes.

Ofwat is now requiring Southern Water to complete outstanding work identified since 2019. Southern Water’s shareholders had already committed £11.5m of targeted investment towards the improvements needed, and they have now pledged an additional £2m for wastewater compliance — work that will be completed by 2030. Of the total of £13.5m pledged:

• £2m will be made to support wetland restoration at Nursling, Southampton. 

• £5m will be deployed for ongoing wastewater treatment works flow compliance and delivery of potential network flow issues. 

• £5.5m will be invested in Southern Water’s sewer level monitor programme. 

• £250,000 will support and enable citizen science data gathering.

• £750,000 is pledged to enable data gathering and development of the River Stour strategy.