Water Industry Performance Report 2025

The Environment Agency, Drinking Water Inspectorate, Natural Resources Wales and Ofwat have published the first Water Industry Performance Insights report.

The results show that the sector continues to fall short of the standards we demand and what the public expect. Find more information about the national picture on our Water Hub page: Water Company Performance Reporting | Engage Environment Agency

South West Water received a 1-star rating, meaning “poor performing”. It has remained at 1 or 2 stars since our Environmental Performance Assessment began in 2011.

Its pollution numbers, delivery of planned environmental improvements and water resources management were all areas of concern.

We are increasing regulatory scrutiny in Devon and Cornwall. Our teams carried out more than 1,000 compliance assessments, including 915 site inspections in 2025 at South West Water sites. In September 2026, South West Water was fined more than £7.8 million for 18 pollution-related offences at sites in Devon and Cornwall, committed between 2015 and 2021.

We will continue monitoring the delivery of the company’s £3.2 billion Water Industry National Environment Programme, covering more than 1,600 schemes across Devon and Cornwall between 2025 and 2030.

Exmouth remains a strong priority for the Agency, and we continue to focus on investigating pollution incidents, monitoring their environmental impact and ensuring South West Water delivers a sewerage system fit for the future. We will continue to share local updates on this page.

Read the 2025 environmental performance report and individual company results on GOV.UK.