South West Water fined almost £2m for supplying water unfit for humans after cryptosporidium parasite outbreak in Brixham, Devon

South West Water has been fined nearly £2 million for supplying water unfit for human consumption following a parasite outbreak in Devon.

The company faced litigation after the water supply in Brixham, Devon, was contaminated by cryptosporidium, a parasite that causes serious illness and diarrhoea.

Hundreds of people, including children, fell ill and some required hospital treatment, Exeter Magistrates’ Court heard.

The outbreak resulted in 143 confirmed cases, 126 of which were identified as the specific strain of cryptosporidiosis linked to Brixham.

More than 16,000 homes were issued boil notices requiring water to be boiled and cooled; these remained for 54 days on some properties.

The water supply is believed to be contaminated at two sites on the Devon farm; The samples tested positive for parasites.

Prosecuted by the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI), South West Water offered an “unreserved apology” to those affected and said it wanted to publicly express its “genuine regret” over the incident.

District Judge Stuart Smith fined the company, which previously pleaded guilty under section 70(1) of the Water Industry Act 1991, of £1.853 million, with a surcharge of £2,000 and costs of £75,000, amounting to £1.930 million.

Joe Millington, representing DWI, said the UK Health Safety Agency was first made aware of five cases of cryptosporidiosis by Torbay Hospital on 10 May 2024.

Testing confirmed the parasite was found in water supplied to homes and businesses in the area on May 15.

Boil advisories were initially issued for 16,221 properties with a population of 38,930, but were reduced on May 18 when testing narrowed down the location of the contamination.

On July 8, notifications were removed completely; Residents of the last 674 affected properties said the tap water was safe to drink.

Mr Millington said customers had reported more than 500 cases of cryptosporidiosis, with symptoms including diarrhoea, abdominal pain and nausea.

He described how those affected experienced physical discomfort and likened it to “food poisoning in a negative way”.

In victim statements summarized to the court by Mr Millington, people spoke of the impact of the pandemic on their lives.

One person described flu-like symptoms for approximately 10 days before experiencing vomiting and diarrhea, which led to him being taken to the hospital by ambulance.

“My illness made me feel like I was beaten,” they said.

“It was a long process to get over it.”

Another person described drinking a glass of water from the kitchen tap that “tasted like it had come from the pool” before experiencing diarrhea during a family holiday in Spain.

The court heard they had not eaten for eight days, had to cancel a long-distance holiday and lost almost a stone in weight.

A mother explained that her young son had been hospitalized many times due to his illness, making her distressed and anxious.

Mr Millington said headteachers were reporting a drop in attendance levels in local schools in the weeks leading up to GCSE exams, which was having a “clear negative impact on exam results”. In one school, five teachers were sick.

Mr Millington said the incident “undermines trust and confidence in the water supply”.

Dominic Kay KC, representing South West Water, offered an “unreserved apology” on behalf of the company.

“The company, through its senior management, wishes to publicly express its true regret regarding this incident,” he said.

Mr Kay said the company pleaded guilty to two possible sources of the outbreak, both on the farm.

It is believed that the contamination entered the water through an air valve located in the area where the cattle were being transported on April 19 and was damaged by a third party.

The court heard that from 2020 South West Water policy stated that air valves must be inspected, but this was not enforced. The air valve had not been visually inspected since 2011.

During the investigation into the epidemic, it was seen that the cover of the air valve and the surrounding chamber were missing.

Mr Kay told the court it was unclear when they were deliberately removed by a third party and that this damage was not reported to South West Water.

He added that South West Water had acted “entirely reasonably and properly” from the moment UKHSA first notified the company of the outbreak.

Pennon, owner of South West Water, previously said the final bill of the pandemic reached around £40 million.

The supplier, which also owns Bristol Water, Bournemouth Water and SES Water, said it was facing costs of around £36 million due to the supply contamination incident and “remodeling and conversion programmes”.

Liberal Democrat South Devon MP Caroline Voaden said after the hearing: “I hope today brings some closure for campaigners who have worked tirelessly to ensure the trauma they experienced in May 2024 is not forgotten.

“Words like incompetent and reckless are used so often to describe our dry water industry that they have almost lost their meaning.

“But the reality is that South West Water have failed in their most basic duty and no amount of money will fully regain the customer trust they have squandered.”