South West Water was fined £7,867,733 and ordered to pay £329,993 in costs after pleading guilty to 18 pollution-related charges covering incidents from 2015–2021 across Cornwall and Devon. Judge Jo Matson called the breaches "horrendous," citing hundreds of sewage spills, including a large release into Polperro harbour. The Environment Agency said the fine sends a clear message that pollution will not be tolerated. South West Water says most spills were storm overflow events and is investing £760m to reduce spills and improve water quality.
South West Water Fined Nearly £8m After 'Horrendous' Sewage Spills
Clarissa Newell, from the Environment Agency, welcomed the fine imposed on South West Water [BBC]
South West Water has been ordered to pay a £7,867,733 fine and an additional £329,993 in costs after admitting multiple pollution offences that occurred between 2015 and 2021 across Cornwall and Devon.
Court Case And Verdict
The company pleaded guilty at Plymouth Magistrates' Court following an Environment Agency investigation into incidents in Bodmin, Harlyn, Playing Place and Polperro in Cornwall, and in Plymouth, Devon. Of 18 charges brought, 17 related to illegal discharges, including sewage spills, and one related to a failure to take reasonable remedial measures after a sewage pumping station failure.
Judge's Remarks
Judge Jo Matson described the pollution as "horrendous" and "very significant," noting there were "hundreds of incidents of sewage spills" and that untreated sewage "gushed through the harbour wall into the harbour at Polperro on a bank holiday weekend." She said the courts must treat such breaches seriously.
Environment Agency Response
Clarissa Newell, environment manager for Devon and Cornwall at the Environment Agency, welcomed the fine and said it sent a clear message that pollution will not be tolerated. She highlighted problems including alarms that were not responded to and data that had been collected but not properly analysed. The agency noted that the case required detailed scientific evidence and calibrated instruments, which contributed to the length of the investigation.
Company Statement And Remedial Work
South West Water described the offences as "historic matters between 2015 and 2021," saying most spills occurred when storm overflows operated in heavy weather. The company said it is investing £760m to tackle storm overflows, reported a 17% reduction in spills and a 25% reduction in spill duration in the past year, and asserted that significant improvements have been made at the affected sites.
This penalty is the largest the Environment Agency has secured against South West Water in a single case. It follows earlier sanctions, including a £1.8m fine linked to a parasite outbreak and a more-than-£2.1m penalty related to pollution in 2023.
Outlook
Judge Matson acknowledged that South West Water has made changes since the earlier 2023 case but warned that only time will tell whether those reforms are successful. The company has said it aims to deliver cleaner rivers and seas across the South West by 2040, a decade ahead of national targets.
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