Analysis: South West Water has worst environmental record in England
A new Friends of the Earth analysis finds South West Water pollutes the environment more than any other English water company, while its customers pay some of the highest bills in the country. The company says performance is improving.
South West Water, which serves Devon, Cornwall and parts of Dorset and Somerset, is causing more environmental harm than any other water company in England, according to new analysis by Friends of the Earth. More sewage is being discharged in its region than anywhere else in the country.
The analysis assessed water companies across six categories: sewage spills, bathing water quality, pollution incidents and warnings at bathing sites, the severity of pollution at bathing sites, the share of rivers rated below good ecological standard, and bill affordability. South West Water ranked among the three worst performers in four of the six categories.
Since 2024, the company has recorded the longest total duration of sewage spills of any provider, averaging 574,323 hours a year — nearly 200,000 hours more than second- and third-placed Severn Trent and Yorkshire Water. Its designated bathing sites also logged the most pollution incidents and warnings nationally, with 666 recorded in 2025 alone. The company oversees 157 official bathing sites, where the Environment Agency monitors water quality during the bathing season.
A company spokesperson said South West Water manages more than a third of England's designated bathing waters and is improving water quality, with storm overflow spills down 17% and spill duration down 25% over the past year despite higher rainfall. The company said it is on track to meet new bathing water standards by 2030, five years ahead of the national deadline.
At the same time, South West Water's roughly 1.8 million customers pay some of the highest annual bills in England, at £726, which have risen 39% since 2024 — the second-largest increase in the country. Southern Water customers face the highest bills overall and the largest increase since 2024.
Friends of the Earth campaigner Kierra Box urged the government to advance a clean water bill and pursue a full overhaul of the water system, and the organisation also called for nationalising water companies. A Defra spokesperson acknowledged that some companies fail to deliver value for money and pollute waterways, pointing to plans for the sector's biggest overhaul in a generation. Industry body Water UK said it would triple investment over the next five years to halve storm overflow spills and upgrade 1,700 wastewater treatment works.
