Date: July 2026
A campaign called Dirty Water is claiming that when Southern Water is fined for illegal sewage discharges, the money doesn’t come from profits or shareholders – it comes from customer bills. Their argument is that the only money a water company has is money from its customers, which means fines are effectively paid by the people the company has been polluting.
The campaign says Southern Water has faced fines and penalties totalling more than £236 million since 2007, all of it funded, in their view, through bills. I can’t independently verify that figure but I’ve linked to the campaign’s page below so you can read their case and make your own judgement.
What isn’t contested is this: Lawrence Gosden, Southern Water’s CEO, took home a £1.4 million salary last year despite a government bonus ban.
The Dirty Water campaign has set up a tool that lets you send a complaint letter directly to Gosden in a few clicks. If you think the current situation is unacceptable, it takes 30 seconds and costs nothing. I’ve already submitted my letter.
Send your complaint letter to Lawrence Gosden.
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