17 Mar 2026
Photo by Ivan Bandura South West Water has pleaded guilty to 18 charges of water pollution spanning six years, in a prosecution brought by the Environment Agency that concluded at Plymouth Magistrates Court on 12 March 2026. Sentencing is expected on 4 June 2026. The charges relate to illegal discharges including raw sewage spills at five […]
05 Mar 2026
Image description: a person in a grey jumper filling up a glass of water from a tap. Photo by SHTTEFAN on Unsplash South West Water (SWW) has pleaded guilty to supplying water unfit for human consumption after a parasitic outbreak in Devon left about 17,000 households and businesses issued with a ‘boil water’ notice last year. The prosecution […]
26 Feb 2026
Image description: Rain drops falling into a shallow pool of water. Photo by reza shayestehpour on Unsplash Despite the South West region experiencing rainfall 62% higher than the national average in 2025, South West Water (SWW) has announced a 17% reduction in storm overflow use and a 25% in cut spill duration over the past […]
26 Feb 2026
Image description: A red and white sign nailed to a wooden fence is in the foreground, with a sandy beach and sea in the background. The sign reads “beach closed, no swimming”. Image by YM, Unsplash. A group legal claim against South West Water (SSW) alleging sewage pollution into coastal waters is harming businesses and individuals has been extended across Devon and Cornwall. […]
02 Oct 2025
Image description: Aerial image of sewage treatment facility. Image by Photo by Ivan Bandura on Unsplash UK Pennon group eyeing profitability for 2025-26 South West Water owner Pennon has reported a “strong return to profitability” despite higher costs borne during the summer drought and the UK’s hottest summer on record. The FTSE 250 water […]
10 Sep 2025
South West Water is facing legal proceedings following a cryptosporidium outbreak that affected thousands of residents in Devon. As reported by the BBC, the water company has been summoned to court over the contamination incident that led to widespread illness and a boil water notice for over 17,000 households. The outbreak, which occurred in […]
12 Jun 2024
From The Guardian South West Water has taken a legal stake in a customer’s home after she withheld her bill payments in a protest over sewage dumping in rivers and the sea. Thousands of water company customers are thought to be withholding payments but this is the first known case of a company enforcing a […]
22 May 2024
South West Water says that around 2,500 properties in the Brixham area of Devon continue to be impacted by a boil water notice. Around 17,000 households were impacted over the weekend. The boil water notice was initially put in place after the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirmed it is investigating cases of cryptosporidium, which […]
