Southern Water is fined more than £7 million after pleading guilty to offences relating to illegal sewage discharges off the Kent coast. Multiple outlets report that the case is linked to sewage discharges from wastewater pumping stations serving Margate and Broadstairs. The discharges took place between 2019 and 2021. The company pleaded guilty to 13 offences at Medway magistrates’ court in April. BBC News adds that the discharges lead to closures of bathing water and had an impact on the local economy. One report says the judge describes Southern Water as having a “record of criminality,” which is treated as an especially serious factor in sentencing. Other coverage states that the fine is imposed at Canterbury Crown Court. Overall, the reporting agrees that the penalties follow the company’s guilty plea and relate to repeated coastal sewage dumping during the stated period, with consequences for public facilities and local conditions.