South West Water given six weeks to fix leak crisis, regulator warns
Regulators say the privatised utility's repeated failure to tackle leaks is putting supplies at risk during ongoing drought.
At a glance
- South West Water given six weeks to submit an action plan to address leaks
- Company has missed leak reduction and pipe repair targets for seven years
- Serves 1.8 million people across south-west England
- Parts of region remain in severe drought
Regulators have warned South West Water that it must produce an action plan within six weeks to address persistent leaks affecting its service area. The company, which serves 1.8 million people across south-west England, has failed to meet targets for reducing leaks and repairing burst pipes for seven years, according to the regulators.
The warning comes as parts of the region continue to experience severe drought conditions. Regulators said the company's failures are increasing the risk that customers could lose access to water supplies.
Why it matters
The failures threaten water security during an ongoing drought, affecting nearly two million customers in a region already facing water stress.
Original reporting
- The Guardian — WorldSouth West Water’s failure to fix leaks ‘putting customer supplies at risk’
- The Guardian — BusinessSouth West Water’s failure to fix leaks ‘putting customer supplies at risk’
This brief was written with AI assistance from the reports listed above and checked against our editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.
