South West Water to pay £24m after spills onto the region’s coast and rivers

South West Water has agreed to pay for improvements after being told by watchdog Ofwat it was facing a £24million ‘enforcement package’ for failing to prevent wastewater spills into the region’s rivers and seas.

Ofwat is proposing to levy the £24m enforcement on the company for failures in managing its wastewater treatment works and network, saying it had failed to meet its legal obligations.

Following the announcement today (Thursday, July 10), South West Water (SWW) has said its offer of a £24m investment to had been accepted in principle by Ofwat.

READ MORE: Sewage pollution alert for North Devon beaches

The watchdog said SWW had ‘recognised its failures and is taking steps to put it right’.

There has been public outcry in recent months with rising water bills coupled with high profile spills at some of the region’s top tourist spots, albeit these tend to happen out of season and following heavy rain.

Above: South West Water has agreed to a proposed £24m enforcement package to try and prevent further wastewater spills on the region’s beaches, such as Woolacombe. Credit: Viral PR

However, according to online resource www.sewagemap.co.uk Woolacombe beach saw a five hour discharge on June 12, with discharges of varying lengths occurring the same day at Combe Martin, Hele Bay and Croyde.

Ofwat said its announcement represents the next stage of its largest and most complex set of investigations into all water companies and their management of their wastewater treatment works.

READ MORE: Storm overflow spills halved in North Molton after South West Water upgrades

It follows the conclusion of cases against Yorkshire Water, Thames Water and Northumbrian Water earlier this year that resulted in enforcement action worth more than £160m. 

The investigation found SWW has failed to build and operate its wastewater treatment works and sewer networks to ensure they performed sufficiently. 

Ofwat said the company did not have in place adequate management systems to ensure it was meeting its legal obligations, including adequate oversight from its senior management team and board. 

In response, SWW has said it will invest £20m during 2025-30 to reduce spills from specific storm overflows. This will target overflows in environmentally sensitive areas or within focused community areas.

It will set up a £2m local fund to tackle sewer misuse and misconnections, which can contribute to environmental pollution.

It will provide £2m of funding through a Nature Recovery Fund to support environmental groups in delivering local environmental improvements. 

In addition the company will commit to taking the necessary steps to address the failures Ofwat has identified.

Above: The popular beach at Westward Ho! has also historically seen a number of discharges in recent years. Credit: Graham Hobbs

Lynn Parker, senior director for enforcement at Ofwat, said companies ‘should be in no doubt’ they would held to account if they failed to meet their legal obligations.

She added: “Our investigation found a range of failures in how South West Water has gone about managing its wastewater business. That is why we have secured the £24m package and a commitment to put things right. 

“As we continue to progress our sector-wide investigation, we are pleased that companies, like South West Water, are stepping up to acknowledge their failures and to put things right. We will continue to monitor the company to ensure that this work is carried out as quickly as possible so that customer confidence can begin to be restored.” 

Susan Davy, CEO at SWW, said: “We are pleased Ofwat has completed its review into wastewater at South West Water as part of its sector wide investigation. For South West Water this related to historical issues.

“I have always said that when things go wrong, it is how we respond and put things right and that is exactly what we are doing.

“In response to Ofwat’s findings, we have proposed a ringfenced investment programme of £24m to spend more to further reduce spills, tackle sewer misuse and establish a Nature Recovery Fund, benefiting environmental groups in Devon and Cornwall and the wider community.

“This is in addition to the £760m we are already investing over the next five years to reduce the use of storm overflows across the region.”