Devon MPs hail ‘victory for local people’ as tougher water regulator announced

Local Liberal Democrat MPs Caroline Voaden (South Devon), Steve Darling (Torbay) and Martin Wrigley (Newton Abbot) have welcomed the news that Ofwat is being replaced by a tougher water regulator, calling it a victory for local people.

Scrapping Ofwat and introducing stronger oversight of water companies was a key pledge in the Liberal Democrat manifesto, following public outrage over sewage pollution in rivers and seas.

“In Torbay we have some beautiful beaches and they must be protected from the scourge of sewage dumping,” said Steve Darling MP.

"Water users shouldn’t be having to check for sewage alerts before going into the sea.

“That’s why I am pleased that action is finally being taken to tackle sewage dumping and clean up our rivers after years of the Conservatives turning a blind eye to this scandal.”

The move comes after repeated calls for reform from Liberal Democrat MPs, who say the current water industry model has failed the public. Between 2020 and 2022, water companies discharged sewage nearly one million times, totalling more than seven million hours. In the same period, water company bosses received more than £51 million in pay and bonuses.

Ofwat has faced fierce criticism for giving passing pollution grades to water companies—three of which were labelled “top performers” despite being responsible for over 2.6 million hours of sewage dumping.

“This news comes at a transitional moment for Devon’s water industry,” said Caroline Voaden MP, “after Susan Davy ended a sorry tenure as South West Water’s CEO earlier this month. Under her leadership, sewage spills exploded, bills rocketed, and a water contamination event ended with people needing to go to the hospital.”

“This alone should have spurred the Government to act. But what’s scary about this crisis is that it is nationwide. No matter where you live you have been impacted by a water industry that is fundamentally broken, where a public good has been misused for corporate greed. Now is the time to take control; I’m pleased the Government has begun to act and I will continue to hold them to account to ensure any promises are followed through.”

Martin Wrigley MP also welcomed the change but said the real work is only just beginning.

“This fight is far from over. The government must now get on with setting up a new, stronger regulator to hold water companies to account.

“Scrapping Ofwat is a major step forward. It’s a victory for all of us who’ve campaigned to end the sewage scandal in Devon and beyond. I’ve seen first-hand the damage caused by sewage dumping in places like the River Teign and Dawlish, so for residents across Devon, this change must lead to action, not more excuses.

“We have to make sure that this new organisation has all the powers pulled together to make an effective, environment and people first, regulator.

“I will be relentlessly fighting to ensure sewage spills are stopped, bills brought down, and our waterways cleaned up for everyone to enjoy in future.”