South West Water pleads guilty to numerous pollution charges
The offences include numerous illegal sewage discharges in both Devon and Cornwall.
South West Water (SWW) has pleaded guilty to a number of pollution-related charges spanning six years across Devon and Cornwall.
The prosecution was brought by the Environment Agency and concluded at Plymouth Magistrates Court on Thursday this week. Sentencing is expected on 4 June 2026.
17 of the charges are for illegal discharge activities including sewage discharges and one is for failing to take reasonable remedial measures following failure at a sewage pumping station.
The offences took place between January 2015 and July 2021 in five locations: Bodmin, Harlyn, Playing Place, Polperro and Plymouth. Three of those offences occurred across an August Bank Holiday weekend.
At SWW’s sewage works near Bodmin, 336 illegal spills took place in the seven years to March 2020. The River Camel, which is a special area of conservation, and a key habitat for Atlantic salmon, bullhead and otters, had sewage poured into it.
On 231 occasions between January 2016 and July 2021, untreated sewage was discharged on to Harlyn beach. The beach is a location popular with locals and tourists.
At Hooe Lake Sewage Pumping station near Plymouth, an incident in 2020 led to a sewage discharge which started on the 28th of August and continued for 88 hours until the 1st of September. The lake is a priority habitat, featuring mudflats, open waters and plant species, as well as being used for watersports.
Clarissa Newell, Environment Agency environment manager for Devon and Cornwall, said:
“Getting to this point and securing these guilty pleas was only possible thanks to years of thorough investigation and hard work by Environment Agency officers. They are committed to protecting Devon and Cornwall’s greatest assets – the beaches, waters and associated habitats."
“Polluters must pay and the Environment Agency continues to do everything in its power to ensure that they do.”
Also before the court were several criminal charges relating to spills at Holywell Sewage Pumping Station. SWW previously pleaded guilty to six charges, these will be considered at a later date to be determined.
South West Water was previously prosecuted in 2023 for 13 charges between July 2016 and August 2020, and was fined £2.15m.