Regulators have issued a formal warning to South West Water, saying repeated failures to address leaks and burst pipes are elevating the risk that customers could lose water supplies in parts of the south-west of England that remain in severe drought.
The privatised company, which supplies around 1.8 million people across the region, has reportedly failed to meet targets on reducing leaks and repairing burst pipes for seven years, according to the regulator. The watchdog has given the firm six weeks to submit an action plan detailing how it will remediate the shortcomings.
The move represents a significant escalation in regulatory pressure. By setting a firm deadline for an action plan, the regulator has signalled it expects concrete, time-bound measures to reduce leakage and improve responsiveness to pipe bursts, particularly as drought conditions persist in some areas.
South West Water now faces scrutiny over both its operational performance and its preparedness to maintain supplies during dry conditions. The regulator will review the company’s proposed steps when they are submitted and may take further action if the plan is judged insufficient or if performance does not improve.
The situation underscores broader concerns about water resilience in parts of England prone to low rainfall. For customers in affected areas, regulators have framed the issue as one of immediate supply reliability, linking long-standing infrastructure performance gaps directly to the threat of interruptions in service.
The coming weeks will be critical for the company to outline how it will reduce leakage, speed up repairs of burst mains and restore confidence that it can meet its obligations to customers amid continuing drought pressure.