South West Water fined £1.85m over parasite outbreak in Devon

Key points

• A utility company has been fined £1.85m for supplying water unfit for human consumption after a parasite outbreak made hundreds of people sick and forced thousands of households to boil their water.
• South West Water (SWW) pleaded guilty to the criminal offence relating to a cryptosporidiosis outbreak in Brixham, Devon, in the spring and summer of 2024. Judge Smith said: “This was a serious failure by South West Water.
• The harm caused was wide-ranging, multilayered and profound.” The judge said water companies were “regional monopolies” with “captive customers” and the outbreak had led to an enduring mistrust of the local tap water.
• He quoted one resident who said: “In this country we are lucky to have good drinking water but we have lost trust in our water supply.” The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said it was a record fine for a drinking water offence.
• Joe Millington, for...