SOUTH West Water is facing a series of alleged offences across Cornwall and in Plymouth for a six-year period between 2015 and 2021.

South West Water (SWW) appeared before Plymouth Magistrates’ Court today, Wednesday, April 17, where it faced 30 charges relating to illegal water discharge activities and breaches of environmental permits.

The charges relate to waste water treatment works, sewage pumping stations and sewer network at locations across Cornwall and Plymouth.

The Environment Agency alleges that SWW is responsible for many hundreds of illegal discharges at seven sites across Cornwall and one in Plymouth over a six-year period.

More than 200,000 pages of evidence were submitted to the court by the Environment Agency relating to offences over a six-year period.

Event Duration Monitoring Data (“EDM”) was utilised by the Environment Agency to allege that South West Water has spilled illegally from multiple sites. 

Proceedings have been adjourned to July 3, 2024 for pleas to be entered.