Devon MP challenges ministers on “loose change” fines for water company pollution

Richard Foord MP has demanded to know why the region’s water company is subject to fines years after sewage dumping offences – and why those fines are small enough for water companies to tolerate them as the cost of doing business.

He was speaking at a parliamentary debate about the water industry on Monday 8th June. Foord asked the environment minister, Emma Hardy, why South West Water was fined the sort of sums which - for the company - amount to “loose change,” when serious environmental harm was caused.

He said: “In 2023, South West Water was fined little more than £2 million for seven pollution incidents dating back seven years at South West Water facilities, including at Kilmington. Now we learn that it has been fined less than £2 million for supplying drinking water in south Devon that left 140 people sick and four people hospitalised.

“This company had revenue of nearly three quarters of a billion pounds last year. How is the Minister upholding the ‘polluter pays’ principle when the polluter only has to set aside loose change?”

Mrs Hardy replied: “That was a record fine for not delivering safe and clean drinking water, but the hon. gentleman is right that what happened there is a serious issue.

“Issuing fines is a matter for the independent regulators. On making the polluter pay, through our changes to the Water (Special Measures) Act 2025 we can recoup the cost of investigation from the company, and we can carry out more investigations, so under this Government, the polluter really does pay.”

Speaking after the debate, Mr Foord spoke of his frustration. He said: “The regulators – the Environment Agency and Ofwat - are the responsibility of Government. It is not good enough for the Government to keep distancing itself from the problem by talking about “independent regulators.”

“I am frustrated that the penalties for serious pollution incidents are not proportionate to the damage done to our rivers and coastal waters. The pollution of the River Axe at Kilmington caused thousands of fish to die, including protected species.

“The Government is not being tough enough with water companies. We need to see much more stringent enforcement, with tougher financial penalties for incidents of sewage pollution, and the supply of drinking water that is not fit to drink.”

South West Water has paid out a total of £4.5 billion in dividends since being privatised in 1989.