Group expands legal claim over South West Water sewage pollution

A group legal claim against South West Water, alleging sewage pollution harming businesses and individuals, has been expanded from Exmouth to include residents and businesses across Devon and Cornwall. The claim, initiated in 2024, argues that South West Water's failings are widespread, impacting coastal towns beyond the initial Exmouth area. The lawsuit cites instances of raw sewage discharge into seas and coastal waters, including a year-long overflow at Salcombe Regis. This action follows a £2.4 million penalty issued by Ofwat in July 2024, which identified systemic failures in South West Water's wastewater treatment and sewer network operations dating back to at least 2017. The legal action objects to the repeated use of storm overflows to discharge raw sewage into the sea, impacting bathing waters.

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