South West Water fined £1.93m over Devon parasite outbreak

A water company has been fined nearly £2 million after a parasite outbreak contaminated drinking water in Devon, sickening hundreds of people and forcing thousands of households to boil their water for weeks. South West Water received the record penalty after pleading guilty to supplying water unfit for human consumption.

The company was sentenced at Exeter Magistrates’ Court to a total financial penalty of £1.93 million, comprising a £1.853 million fine, a surcharge, and costs. The prosecution was brought by the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) following the cryptosporidium outbreak in the Brixham area in the spring and summer of 2024.

Hundreds of people reported becoming ill, with symptoms including diarrhoea, stomach cramps, nausea, and fever. According to evidence presented in court, more than 500 cases of cryptosporidiosis were reported. At least 10 people required hospital treatment. One victim described feeling as if they had been beaten up, while another said tap water tasted like it had come from a pond.

The contamination led to boil water notices being issued for up to 54 days, affecting more than 16,000 properties at the peak of the incident. The court heard the...