South West Water told to address faults after more than 860 inspections

Inspectors from the Environment Agency have ordered South West Water to fix a wide range of issues uncovered during more than 860 inspections of its wastewater sites across Devon and Cornwall.
The inspections form part of a nationwide effort that saw the regulator complete a record 10,000 checks on water companies over the past year, aimed at improving compliance and preventing pollution.
In the South West, officers identified numerous problems during inspections carried out in 2025–26. These included missing, broken or blocked screens designed to stop solid waste entering waterways, raising concerns that untreated or partially treated sewage could be discharged during storms.
Inspectors also found leaking pipes, cracked tanks and seeping liquids, along with missing emergency pumps and generators. Faulty monitoring equipment and poor maintenance were reported at some sites, with blocked channels, overgrown vegetation and sludge accumulation highlighted as recurring issues.
The Environment Agency said inspections have intensified over the past two years, with the team overseeing South West Water increasing its activity by 125% compared to the previous year. The checks are designed to ensure water companies operate within the conditions of their environmental permits, with strict actions imposed where they fall short.
As a result, South West Water has been instructed to carry out more than 250 actions to bring sites into compliance. Overall, 76% of the sites inspected were found to meet permit requirements.
Clarissa Newell, Environment Agency water industry manager for Devon and Cornwall, said:
“These inspections are not new. They are essential health checks of the vital infrastructure that supplies clean drinking water and proper sewer systems.
“Officers have become frequent visitors to water company sites that perform essential jobs, their findings resulting in increased spending on improvements, modernised permits and even site pride.
“That said, when serious fault is found then enforcement will always remain an option to putting that right.”
Helen Wakeham, Environment Agency’s Director for Water, added:
“In our role as regulators of the water industry, we are changing how we operate - with better data, our largest ever enforcement workforce and greater powers to do our job effectively.
“Inspections are a vital preventative measure, with our teams nationally issuing over 3,000 actions to water companies, including repairing sewage works and upgrading their infrastructure.
“Together, this will drive meaningful improvements in performance, hold persistent offenders to account and ultimately create a cleaner water environment.”

Richard Price, Managing Director of Wastewater Services, commented: 
“We have positively engaged with the Environment Agency this year to support each and every visit from our local officers, with 3 in 4 sites being recognised as fully compliant and no major or serious issues being raised across all sites visited. All other improvement actions are being tracked and fixed.”

While many of the breaches identified were considered relatively minor in terms of immediate pollution risk, the Environment Agency said they reflect how effectively companies manage and maintain their operations. Even minor breaches must be addressed to ensure compliance, while more serious cases may lead to further investigation, prosecution or other enforcement action.
The regulator said data gathered from inspections is helping to build a clearer picture of performance across the sector, allowing it to better target enforcement and identify trends in non-compliance.
In addition to increased inspections, measures to improve environmental performance include expanding regulatory staff, enhanced monitoring of storm overflows and stronger enforcement powers. The Environment Agency, alongside Natural England, has also secured £22.1 billion in investment commitments from the water industry over the next five years to upgrade infrastructure and meet stricter environmental standards.