South West Water will learn whether it faces multi-million pound fines this week in two separate prosecutions brought by the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) and the Environment Agency.

The sentencing hearing will take place today before Exeter Magistrates’ Court in the case brought by the DWI in relation to the Cryptosporidiosis outbreak event in the Brixham area in 2024 when the Cryptosporidium parasite was detected in the drinking water supply.

The DWI announced at the end of September last year that a court summons had been issued to South West Water for prosecution for potential offences under section 70(1) of the Water Industry Act 1991.

South West Water entered a guilty plea for supplying water unfit for human consumption following a court hearing on 4 March 2026 at the Court. The incident saw thousands of customers impacted by a boil water notice issued in response the outbreak in May 2024.

In Brixham and Kingswear, water is treated at the company’s Littlehempston Water Treatment Works which takes its water from river sources near agricultural land – the untreated water is tested every single day for cryptosporidium. Despite all the monitoring in place, cryptosporidium was able to enter the clean water network.

Over an eight week period the company had to provide bottled water to thousands of customers, isolate the cause of the infection and thoroughly clean its network.

Commenting after South West Water’s guilty plea in March, Marcus Rink, Chief Inspector of the Drinking Water Inspectorate, said:

“The company’s decision to plead guilty to the offences relating to the Brixham incident reflects the seriousness of the failings identified during our investigation…..

“While such incidents are very rare, this incident had a significant impact on the public and the wider community. The court will now decide what the outcome of the failing should be.”

South West Water to be sentenced after pleading guilty to six years of pollutions

Later this week sentencing is expected on 4 June 2026 following the prosecution brought by the Environment Agency – in March the company pleaded guilty at Plymouth Magistrates Court to a catalogue of pollution-related charges spanning six years across Devon and Cornwall.

South West Water admitted to 18 separate charges of water pollution - of the charges, 17 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 the offences that took place occurred across an August Bank Holiday weekend.

Commenting after the March hearing, 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.”

South West Water was previously prosecuted in 2023 for 13 charges between July 2016 and August 2020, and was fined £2.15 million.

In September 2025 Ofwat confirmed its final decisions in its wastewater investigations against Anglian Water and South West Water - a total of £86.8 million will be paid by the companies as enforcement packages.