'Regulators need to toughen up if we're to avoid standpipes due to water shortages'
The Government and regulators are being told they're partly to blame for a lack of action over South West Water's ongoing leaks
Last updated 9th Nov 2026
There's calls for more powers for regulators, after figures show South West Water's missed its leak reduction forecasts in each of the past seven years.
Despite parts of Devon being in severe drought, figures show it's leaking more than five-million litres a day more than last year.
Julian Brazil, leader of Devon County Council, said: "South West Water forecast its leakage would fall but in fact it increased by 5.78 million litres in 2025/26 to 113.54 million litres per day - around 45 Olympic swimming pools in volume.
"The company also lost 5.57 million litres daily to bursts and supply interruptions above its own forecasts and put an extra 35 million litres of water every day into its network every day to make up for losses and keep taps flowing."
He added: “Householders and businesses have been told to save water to avoid worse drought restrictions and that was all down to the dry weather.
“Now we learn South West Water has been continually warned for seven years it’s not doing its bit on leakage. Their record is somehow even worse and that failure puts our rivers and wildlife at risk of prolonged environmental damage and may leave customers and businesses facing supply restrictions.
“I would say it’s a surprise but it’s not because this crisis has been decades in the making. While we’ve been paying the highest bills in the nation since 1989, South West Water has been busy continually polluting our bathing waters, busy losing nearly one in every five litres of water on its network and most busy paying out billions in dividends to its shareholders.
“I’m pleased the Prime Minister and regulators are finally telling water companies it’s closing time in their last chance saloon but businesses and families in Devon may be left picking up the pieces left by South West Water’s appalling record of greed and failure.
“I’m sure Devonians, businesses and public bodies will do their best to save water. South West Water can help them by funding from its own deep pockets a huge, Devon-centred communications campaign, getting a grip on leakage and making sure it is working with every customer, business and council to avoid the most dire consequences yet of its own neglect.
"Last week, customers in areas most affected by drought began receiving letters from South West Water urging them to save water. However, the joint OFWAT, Environment Agency and DEFRA letter says they have “reduced confidence” in the company to ensure supplies and avoid emergency abstractions from rivers that will cause environment damage.
What has South West Water said?
A spokesperson for the water firm said: "We're investing significant resource into finding and fixing leaks across our network and over the last 12 months we have repaired more than 23,000 leaks, recruited an additional 40 leakage specialists and brought in extra resources from across our wider business to support our response.
"We're using a range of technologies including acoustic loggers, satellite monitoring, drones and specially trained leak detection dogs to find and repair leaks and strengthen supplies as quickly as possible."
There's more about the severe drought status here