South West Water

Water company Products & services: Water and wastewater services.

Updated: 3 August 2026

Company Overview

Industry: Water supply and wastewater (sewerage) services
Parent company: Pennon Group plc (FTSE 250)
Regulator: Ofwat (economic regulator); Environment Agency and Drinking Water Inspectorate (environmental and water-quality regulators)
Ombudsman: No statutory water ombudsman: Consumer Council for Water (CCW) reviews complaints; the Dispute Resolution Ombudsman provides binding ADR
Founded: 1989 (water privatisation; company incorporated 1 April 1989)
Legal entity: South West Water Limited (Companies House no. 02366665)

What customers complain about

Customers complaining to South West Water most often raise billing and account issues, which CCW says are the biggest driver of its complaints, alongside water-quality concerns after the 2024 Brixham cryptosporidium outbreak and anger about pollution and rising bills. South West Water has a poor recent complaints record: CCW rated it 'poor' in 2024-25 (72.696 complaints per 10,000 connections) and, on unaudited April-December 2025 data, it is the worst-performing water and sewerage company at 146.53 complaints to the company per 10,000 connections (Quartile 4). There is no statutory water ombudsman: complain to South West Water first on 0344 346 1010, then CCW can take up the complaint for free after eight weeks or a deadlock, and the Dispute Resolution Ombudsman gives a binding decision. South West Water is regulated by Ofwat and was fined a record £1.853m in June 2026 over the Brixham outbreak. Guaranteed Standards Scheme payments apply for certain service failures.

Complaint categories

1
Billing and account issues
Disputes over bills, charges, metered bills and account handling are the single biggest driver of complaints about South West Water, and CCW says billing complaints have been rising even as some other categories fell.
CCW reported that most South West Water complaints are about bills and that it had dealt with more billing-related issues in 2024-25 than the year before; CCW's Catherine Jones said the company needs to look at 'the root cause of the complaints and how to stop them happening in the first place'.
2
Drinking-water quality and the Brixham outbreak
Water quality became a defining complaint issue after cryptosporidium contaminated the Brixham supply in 2024, leaving customers reliant on bottled water and boiling their supply for weeks.
The DWI found cryptosporidium from animal faeces entered the network via a faulty air valve; South West Water admitted supplying water unfit for human consumption and received over 390 customer contacts reporting illness during the incident.
3
Sewage pollution and environmental performance
Anger about sewage pollution and poor environmental performance features heavily in complaints about South West Water, which Ofwat has flagged for a high serious-pollution incident rate.
Ofwat's 2023-24 performance report recorded South West Water at 111 serious pollution incidents per 10,000km of sewer - close to double the next-poorest company and about five times Ofwat's target - and 13.7 sewer collapses per 1,000km.
4
Affordability and rising bills
Concern about the affordability of rising water bills features in escalated complaints across South West Water's region following the 2025-30 price review, which allowed steep bill increases.
CCW reported that upset over bill increases fuelled a sector-wide rise in complaints to the watchdog, with billing the leading category for South West Water.

Contact methods

Complaint journey

1
Complain to South West Water (Stage 1)
Report the complaint to the customer team.
Typical response5 working days
What happens
South West Water asks you to complain by calling 0344 346 1010 or by WhatsApp (07862 118803). It says it will investigate, explain what happened and propose a solution, aiming to reply within 5 working days, though on occasion this may take up to 10 working days. There is no dedicated complaints email, so any written complaint goes by post to Peninsula House, Rydon Lane, Exeter, EX2 7HR. Quote your account number, property postcode and the outcome you want.
2
Escalate to a senior manager (Stage 2)
Ask for a manager review if still unhappy.
Typical response10 working days
What happens
If you are unhappy with the Stage 1 response, you can ask for your complaint to be escalated so a senior manager reviews it. South West Water says a senior manager will respond within 10 working days. If it does not resolve matters, you can ask for a deadlock letter confirming the company considers the case closed.
3
Ask CCW to take it up (Stage 3)
The consumer body can help for free.
Typical responseAfter 8 weeks or a deadlock
What happens
If your complaint is unresolved, is over eight weeks old, or you have a deadlock letter, contact the Consumer Council for Water (CCW) on 0300 034 2222 or via ccw.org.uk/contact-us. CCW is the free, independent statutory consumer body for water; it can advise you and take up the complaint with South West Water. CCW is not a regulator and does not fine the company.
4
Refer to the Dispute Resolution Ombudsman
Independent adjudication once deadlocked.
Typical responseVaries
What happens
If CCW cannot resolve the complaint, the final route is the Dispute Resolution Ombudsman, the water sector's independent alternative dispute resolution provider appointed via Water UK in 2026. Its decision is legally binding on South West Water if you accept it, but you are not bound by it, so you keep your right to go to court.

Response times

South West Water operates a three-stage process. At Stage 1 it aims to reply within 5 working days, though it says this may on occasion take up to 10 working days. At Stage 2 a senior manager reviews the complaint and responds within 10 working days; if unresolved you can request a deadlock letter. This sits within the statutory Guaranteed Standards Scheme (GSS), under which a water company in England must send a full reply to a written complaint or account query within 10 working days or owe an automatic £40. Other GSS standards carry fixed payments: £50 for a missed or short-notice-cancelled appointment; £50 for failing to give at least 48 hours' notice of a planned supply interruption; and, for a missed supply-restoration deadline, £50 plus a further £50 for each additional 12-hour period. Internal flooding from sewers attracts the annual sewerage charge plus £150-£2,000. If you remain unhappy after eight weeks or a deadlock you can ask CCW to take it up for free, and a deadlocked complaint can then go to the Dispute Resolution Ombudsman for a binding decision.

If your complaint isn’t resolved

If South West Water can’t put things right, you can escalate — free of charge — to an independent body:

Consumer Council for Water

Recent news

2 June 2026
South West Water was fined £1,853,000 - a record fine for a drinking-water offence - plus £75,000 costs and a £2,000 surcharge at Exeter Magistrates' Court, after admitting an offence under section 70(1) of the Water Industry Act 1991 of supplying water unfit for human consumption during the 2024 Brixham cryptosporidium outbreak. Between 15 May and 8 July 2024 up to 39,000 consumers faced a boil-water notice; the DWI found cryptosporidium from animal faeces entered the network via a faulty air valve, and the company received over 390 customer illness reports.
Read more
11 September 2025
The Consumer Council for Water (CCW) rated South West Water 'poor' for complaints in 2024-25, with 72.696 complaints per 10,000 connections and billing the main driver. It was one of only three water and sewerage companies in the poorest band, alongside Thames Water and Yorkshire Water; CCW's Catherine Jones said the company needs to tackle the root causes of complaints.
Read more
11 October 2024
In Ofwat's 2023-24 water company performance report, South West Water was ordered to return about £17.4m to customers through lower bills for missing performance commitments - up from £9.2m the previous year. Ofwat recorded the company at 111 serious pollution incidents per 10,000km of sewer, close to double the next-poorest company and about five times Ofwat's target, and 13.7 sewer collapses per 1,000km.
Read more
15 May 2024
Cryptosporidium was detected in the Brixham (Littlehempston) supply, triggering a boil-water notice affecting up to 17,000 properties and 39,000 consumers that ran until 8 July 2024. South West Water paid automatic compensation to affected customers, with individual payments increased over time (up to £265), and its parent Pennon reported the incident cost around £16m overall.
Read more

Know your rights

Guaranteed Standards Scheme (Water Supply and Sewerage Services (Customer Service Standards) Regulations)
Sets minimum service standards for water companies with fixed automatic compensation, for example £40 in England if South West Water does not fully reply to a written complaint within 10 working days, £50 for a missed or short-notice-cancelled appointment, £50 for failing to give 48 hours' notice of a planned supply interruption, and £50 (plus £50 per further 12-hour period) for a missed supply-restoration deadline. This is general information, not legal advice.
Consumer Rights Act 2015
Water and sewerage supply is a service that must be provided with reasonable care and skill; where it falls short you may be able to seek a repeat performance or a price reduction. Not legal advice.
Water Industry Act 1991
Governs water companies' duties and the powers of Ofwat, the Environment Agency and the DWI, including standards of service. Section 70 makes it an offence to supply water unfit for human consumption - the charge South West Water admitted over the Brixham outbreak. Not legal advice.

Frequently asked questions

How do I make a complaint to South West Water?

South West Water asks you to complain by calling 0344 346 1010 or by WhatsApp (07862 118803). It aims to reply within 5 working days, though occasionally up to 10. There is no dedicated complaints email, so any written complaint goes by post to Peninsula House, Rydon Lane, Exeter, EX2 7HR. Quote your account number, property postcode and what went wrong.

Is there a water ombudsman for South West Water complaints?

There is no statutory water ombudsman. If South West Water cannot resolve your complaint, the Consumer Council for Water (CCW) can take it up for free once it is unresolved, over eight weeks old, or deadlocked, and a deadlocked complaint can then go to the Dispute Resolution Ombudsman for a binding decision.

Does South West Water have a good complaints record?

No - it has a poor recent record. CCW rated it 'poor' in 2024-25 (72.696 complaints per 10,000 connections), and on unaudited April-December 2025 data it is the worst-performing water and sewerage company at 146.53 complaints per 10,000 connections (Quartile 4), above even Thames Water. Billing is the leading complaint category.

What can I do about the Brixham cryptosporidium outbreak?

South West Water paid automatic compensation to affected customers after the 2024 Brixham outbreak, with payments increased over time (up to £265). If you think you are owed more or were harmed, raise it with South West Water first on 0344 346 1010, then escalate to CCW and, if deadlocked, the Dispute Resolution Ombudsman. The company was fined a record £1.853m in June 2026 over the outbreak, but that criminal penalty is separate from your personal claim.

What happens if South West Water misses its complaint response time?

Under the Guaranteed Standards Scheme you are entitled in England to an automatic £40 if South West Water does not reply to a written complaint within 10 working days. Other GSS payments include £50 for a missed appointment and £50 (plus £50 per further 12 hours) for a missed supply-restoration deadline. If it is not paid automatically, ask South West Water and, if needed, CCW.

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