Southern Water Fined Again Over Sewage Violations, Faces Cyberattack Costs

Southern Water fined again over sewage issues. Cyberattack costs £4.5m. Key details revealed.

September 22, 2026 One Min Read

POLICY WIRE — London, United Kingdom — Southern Water has been hit with another significant sewage-related penalty just two months after being ordered to pay £7 million for illegal waste disposal.

The utility company recently confirmed it has spent £4.5 million on mitigation efforts following a ransomware attack in February 2024, which also exposed the personal data of around 270,000 customers. The breach was attributed to the Black Basta group, believed to have ties to Russia.

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Despite the cyber incident occurring nearly a year ago, Southern Water had previously remained silent on the matter. The attack underscores the growing financial and operational risks that ransomware poses to critical infrastructure, as well as the broader impact on public services and local communities.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)

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