It Sounds a Big Penalty But?

The UK's privatised Southern Water company have been given, what seems at first glance, to be a massive £90m fine (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jul/09/southern-water-fined-90m-for-deliberately-pouring-sewage-into-sea). Between January 2010 and December 2015, Southern Water illegally discharged raw sewage into the seas off the North Kent and Hampshire coasts. The company is estimated to have illegally discharged between 16 and 21 bn litres from 17 wastewater treatment works. More than 8,400 illegal discharges were eventually identified (some over very extended periods). The raw sewage has detrimental effects on human health, marine ecology and fisheries in the discharge area. Since 2010, the privatised water companies have been allowed to 'self-report' their discharges. Southern Water then deliberately under-reported their discharges, to avoid costs and penalties. Those costs and penalties would have amounted to circa £90m. Southern Water are consequently only being asked to pay back the costs and penalties they illegally avoided. It's rather like a robber being cleared of a crime, by returning the money (without interest). Southern Water made profits of £213m in 2019!