In addition, it admitted breaches across three days from 5 March 2020 where untreated sewage was dumped into Faversham Creek after a wastewater station’s pumps stopped working.
Swalecliffe Brook was also hit on the same day, with sewage carried into the sea, while another “almost identical incident” took place in October 2020, said the regulator.
Dawn Theaker, the EA’s water industry regulation manager in the South East, said: “All of these pollution incidents could have been avoided had operations been managed more carefully, with the necessary checks in place to deal with problems when they occurred.
“It’s a familiar pattern with water companies – they’re always catching up with events.”
She added that the EA would “keep SW in its sights with more inspections, even tougher regulation and prosecution in the most serious cases”.
Southern Water will be sentenced at Medway Magistrates’ Court on a date to be confirmed.
