Home / Environment / Water Firm Admits 18 River Pollution Offences
Water Firm Admits 18 River Pollution Offences
13 Mar
Summary
- South West Water admitted 18 pollution offences impacting rivers and beaches.
- The company caused illegal spills, including raw sewage, between 2015 and 2021.
- Sentencing for the offences is scheduled for June 4, 2026.
South West Water has admitted to 18 pollution offences across Devon and Cornwall. The company entered guilty pleas at Plymouth Magistrates Court following an investigation by the Environment Agency. These incidents, which took place between 2015 and 2021, affected rivers, beaches, and protected wildlife habitats.
The charges include 17 instances of illegal discharges, with raw sewage being released into various locations. Notably, Bodmin sewage works saw 336 illegal spills, impacting the River Camel. Harlyn beach experienced 231 untreated sewage releases between 2016 and 2021.
Further incidents involved Hooe Lake in Plymouth, where sewage flowed for 88 hours in late August/early September 2020 due to a pumping station failure. South West Water stated the charges relate to historic matters and emphasized significant investments made since 2021, reducing spills and overflow usage.
Sentencing for these environmental offences is scheduled for June 4, 2026. This comes after a previous fine of £2.15m in 2023 for similar pollution offences.
