South West Water has been ranked as the worst-performing water company in England for environmental impact, according to new analysis by Friends of the Earth, with the highest volumes of sewage discharged across its Devon, Cornwall, Dorset and Somerset region. The findings add to mounting pressure on the water industry and the government over sewage pollution, with campaigners demanding tougher legislation and renewed calls for nationalisation, while South West Water insists it is already making significant improvements.

Friends of the Earth assessed companies across six measures, including sewage spills, bathing water quality and river health, and found South West Water among the worst three performers in four of them. It recorded the longest total sewage spill duration of any company, averaging 574,323 hours a year, and its bathing sites saw 666 pollution incidents or warnings in 2025, more than anywhere else. Its 1.8 million customers also pay some of the highest bills in the country, £726 a year, having risen 39% since 2024, second only to Southern Water's increases. The company said spill numbers and duration had fallen over the past year and it remains on track to meet new bathing water standards by 2030, ahead of the national deadline.