South West Water fined £7.8 million over hundreds of sewage spills across Devon and Cornwall

South West Water pleaded guilty to 18 charges linked to pollution incidents between 2015 and 2021. (Photo: Shutterstock) South West Water has been fined £7,867,733 for hundreds of illegal sewage spills across Devon and Cornwall, with a judge describing the company’s management failures as reckless. The record penalty is the largest ever imposed for environmental offences in the region.South West Water was fined at Plymouth Magistrates’ Court on September 29 after pleading guilty to 18 charges relating to pollution incidents between January 2015 and July 2021. The charges included 17 illegal water discharge offences and one charge for failing to take reasonable remedial measures after a pumping station failure, as reported by SWNS. The Environment Agency said hundreds of incidents occurred at popular bathing locations, conservation sites and environmentally sensitive areas across Devon and Cornwall.District Judge Matson said “incidents of pollution will not be tolerated” and repeatedly criticised South West Water’s handling of known risks. The court found that the company’s conduct amounted to reckless failures in its management systems and response to known problems.£1.1 million fi...