The former chief executive of Southern Water, Matthew Wright, has been charged alongside three other ex-employees over an alleged scheme to manipulate water quality tests and avoid paying about £45m in penalties, it can now be reported.
Wright, 60, of Haslemere, Surrey, is accused of conspiring to defraud the Environment Agency (EA) and water regulator Ofwat between 2012 and 2017, along with Philip Barker, 57, Clive Massey, 64, and Mark Gregory, 63, who also worked at the firm. According to court documents, the allegations include arranging for wastewater to be removed from facilities by tankers in order to create “no flow” results — a practice prosecutors said was “with a view to covering up pollution and deceiving those whose function is to protect the public from such harm”.
“Ex-Southern Water CEO Matthew Wright charged with conspiring to manipulate water tests to avoid £45m penalties.”
The EA asked a judge to issue a summons against the four last year, but Wright launched a legal challenge, arguing the EA did not have the power to issue the summons. Two senior judges dismissed his claim on Wednesday and lifted restrictions that had previously prevented reporting of the challenge. Wright’s solicitor said he “denies all wrongdoing and has co-operated fully” with the EA’s investigation. Massey, Gregory and Barker did not appear at the hearing in London and were not represented.
Southern Water said the four no longer work for the firm, and the charges relate to “a historic set of failures” uncovered through an internal company investigation in 2017. “As soon as they were identified, Southern Water reported them to regulators, including the Environment Agency,” a spokesperson said. “Southern Water is a completely different company now than it was a decade ago. We’re serious about further change and improvement, and are investing in our largest ever programme to protect the environment.”
Court listings show the case against all four is scheduled to be heard at Medway Magistrates’ Court on 14 July. The charge — conspiracy to defraud those conducting environmental and financial regulation of Southern Water, including the EA and Ofwat — carries significant implications for accountability in the water industry, where public anger over sewage discharges and regulatory failures has been growing.