The utility met only seven of its 23 operational targets for 2025–26, with overall pollution incidents remaining at more than double the regulatory target. Although supply interruptions deteriorated significantly, the firm remained the sole industry provider to hit its internal sewer flooding goals continuously since 2020–21. Company leadership highlighted ongoing turnaround efforts, noting that record regional investments and new management helped cut storm overflow spills by 17% over the past year.
Key points
Regulators have required South West Water to implement a transformation programme targeti…: Regulators have required South West Water to implement a transformation programme targeting operational failures.
Drinking water quality remains safe and internal sewer flooding targets have been achieve…: Drinking water quality remains safe and internal sewer flooding targets have been achieved every year since 2020–21.
New company management has insourced 40 leakage specialists to accelerate performance and…: New company management has insourced 40 leakage specialists to accelerate performance and environmental progress.
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- Published
South West Water has been given the lowest possible environmental rating by the Environment Agency over high levels of pollution.
The regulator downgraded the firm from two stars out of a possible four to one, meaning it is now considered a "poor performing company" for its environmental impact.
It said it had performed "significantly below target" for sewage pollution incidents for the 15th year in a row.
South West Water, which has 1.8 million customers across Devon, Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly and parts of Dorset and Somerset, said it knew there was "much more to do" and was taking action to improve areas that "matter most" to customers and the environment.
The annual Environmental Performance Assessment grades England's nine water and sewerage companies largely on how often they pollute rivers, streams and the sea.
For 2025, South West Water was among four companies rated as poor performing, or one star, while four others were rated as requiring improvement, two stars.
Severn Trent Water was the only company to achieve the highest rating of four stars.
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