South West Water Fined Nearly £8 Million for Sewage Spills
Water company penalized for pollution offenses spanning six years and multiple locations in Cornwall and Devon.
South West Water has been fined £7,867,733 for a series of pollution-related offenses committed between 2015 and 2021. The company pleaded guilty to 18 charges, including 17 counts of illegal discharge activities, such as sewage spills, and one charge for failing to take adequate remedial measures after a pumping station failure.
The incidents occurred in Bodmin, Harlyn, Playing Place, and Polperro in Cornwall, and Plymouth in Devon. The Environment Agency investigated the offenses that took place over a six-year period.
In a statement following the sentencing, South West Water apologized for the historical issues, noting that the majority of the spills involved the use of storm overflows. The company stated that it is investing £760 million to address storm overflows and has reported a 17% reduction in spills and a 25% decrease in spill duration over the past year. South West Water also indicated that significant improvements have been made at the affected sites and that the company is committed to achieving cleaner rivers and seas across the South West by 2040, a decade ahead of national targets.