General · 3 June 2026
South West Water fined £1.8m for dirty water
Hundreds of people got sick and thousands had to boil their water after South West Water supplied contaminated tap water. The company was fined £1.85 million at Exeter Magistrates' Court for a parasite outbreak in Brixham, Devon, in May 2024. This financial penalty, the largest ever imposed for a violation related to drinking water quality, was issued following their admission of guilt for distributing contaminated water.
Reported by Guardian · How we write briefs