Arabic version: تغريم «ساوث ويست ووتر» نحو 8 ملايين جنيه إسترليني بسبب تسربات مياه الصرف

According to BBC News, South West Water has been fined £7,867,733 for pollution-related offences involving untreated sewage spills over six years.

The company had previously pleaded guilty at Plymouth Magistrates’ Court following an Environment Agency investigation into incidents between 2015 and 2021. The incidents occurred in Bodmin, Harlyn, Playing Place and Polperro in Cornwall, as well as Plymouth in Devon.

Of 18 charges, 17 concerned illegal discharge activities, including sewage discharges. One charge related to failing to take reasonable remedial measures after a failure at a sewage pumping station.

During sentencing, Judge Jo Matson described the pollution as “horrendous” and “very significant”. South West Water said after sentencing: “We apologise for what happened in the past.”

The company said the case concerned “historic matters between 2015 and 2021”, with most spills involving overflows in storm conditions. It said it was investing £760m to tackle storm overflows and had reduced spills by 17% in the past year, while spill duration had fallen by 25%.