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South West Water hit with nearly £8m fine for sewage spill incidents
A UK district judge ordered South West Water (SWW) to pay nearly £8 million after ruling the company carried out hundreds of sewage spill incidents in Cornwall and Devon, including discharges at popular bathing spots and in sensitive habitats.
The Guardian reports that one incident involved untreated sewage gushing through a harbour wall in Polperro on a bank holiday weekend in 2019, and that SWW engineers took 10 hours to attend. The company also discharged sewage into the River Camel, an area home to otters and Atlantic salmon and frequented by birdwatchers and sailors.
At Plymouth magistrates court, the fine was £7,867,733, described as the largest fine for environmental offences in the region. District Judge Matson said incidents of pollution could not be tolerated, according to The Guardian.