South East Water fined £76,000 for taking millions of litres without a licence
Unlicensed abstraction at Kent farm risked environmental damage
South East Water has been penalised £75,859.10 for extracting over 52 million litres of water from the Kent countryside without the required licence from the Environment Agency.
For six weeks in 2021, the company engaged in unlicensed abstraction at a farm in Tudeley, near Tonbridge.
The water taken between 4th May and 19th June was enough to fill 300,000 baths.
The failure resulted from South East Water not renewing its licence in March of that year, leading to a variable monetary penalty rather than prosecution.
Abstraction licences aim to protect water resources and prevent environmental harm, ensuring that wildlife habitats remain undisturbed and avoiding water shortages through the agency's controlled system.
South East Water admitted human error played a role in the oversight but an investigation found deeper issues beyond staff changes.
Manual record-keeping meant nobody checked if the licence had been renewed, leading to the unfortunate lapse.
Automated Systems Implemented
In response to the breach, South East Water has now installed an automated system to flag when licences need renewal, aiming to prevent similar errors in the future.
The Environment Agency has also warned South East Water previously about adhering to its abstraction licences, suggesting ongoing issues with license management.
The penalty includes nearly £6,000 representing the cost that South East Water would have paid for a valid licence during the period.
Appeals made by the company citing the absence of harm were dismissed by Judge Catherine Harris earlier in the year.
Fiona Kent, a senior environment officer with the Environment Agency in Kent, commented:
“South East Water acted negligently in letting the abstraction licence expire, putting the environment at risk. Luck was on their side and that of the environment that no harm was caused during the six weeks of unlicensed use.
“Taking water with no licence from the Environment Agency seriously undermines the regulatory regime.”
Water companies and other organisations are legally required to secure licences for water abstraction used in their operations.
South East Water resumed its activities at Tudeley in March 2022 after obtaining the necessary licence.
The imposed penalty serves as a reminder of the importance of following licensing procedures to prevent environmental impact.