Former Southern Water CEO, Matthew Wright, and three others have been charged with conspiracy to defraud authorities by allegedly manipulating water quality tests to evade penalties. The Environment Agency (EA) sought a summons against Wright, Philip Barker, Clive Massey, and Mark Gregory, all former employees of the company, for the same offense last year. Wright contested the summons in court, but his challenge was dismissed by two senior judges. The case is scheduled to be heard at Medway Magistrates’ Court.
The four individuals are accused of conspiring between 2012 and 2017 to deceive public duty officials regarding environmental and financial regulations at Southern Water by implementing artificial no-flow events at wastewater treatment works. Additionally, Southern Water faces multiple charges of non-compliance with environmental permits between 2013 and 2017. Three other individuals, Terry Stephens, David James, and Mark Butler, are also charged with permit violations.
Wastewater treatment works must operate with environmental permits issued by the EA. Effluent discharge is monitored under an “operator self-monitoring” scheme, with results shared with regulatory bodies. Changes have been made to tighten regulations around self-monitoring, including rescheduling samples if flow conditions are inadequate.
The summons against the accused men alleges a deliberate plan to manipulate testing conditions to avoid penalties, involving extensive fraud and deception. The EA is pursuing criminal proceedings against Southern Water and former employees, emphasizing their commitment to environmental protection and prosecution of serious offenses.
The judgment highlighted the seriousness of the allegations, stating that the company potentially avoided significant financial penalties through fraudulent activities. The EA welcomed the court decision, reaffirming their dedication to prosecuting environmental offenders.
