South West Water is doing more harm to the environment than any other water company in England according to Friends of the Earth.

Their report finds they discharge more sewage than anyone else.

They analysed environmental performance in six categories: sewage spills, water quality at bathing sites, pollution incidents or warnings at bathing sites, severity of sewage pollution at bathing sites, the percentage of rivers rated below the standard for good ecological health and the affordability of bills.

Since 2024 they had the highest duration of sewage spill events averaging 574,323.

Kierra Box, water campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said:

“There’s a reason the sewage scandal has resonated so deeply with the public.

“Not only are we a nation of nature-lovers who can’t stand to see our beloved rivers and seas dying at the hands of corporate negligence and greed.

“We’re also sick and tired of paying through the nose for the privilege, with water company bosses pocketing huge bonuses as our water bills skyrocket and blue spaces slip into further decline.

“If we’re to end the sewage scandal once and for all, then we must see the government committing to a complete overhaul of our water system.  

“As well as bringing forward a robust Clean Water Bill that sets out a meaningful plan for restoring the health of the UK’s cherished and wild rivers and seas, bringing water back under public ownership is another crucial piece of the puzzle if we’re to make the system work in favour of communities instead of for profit.”

A spokesperson for South West Water told the Guardian: “We manage more than a third of England’s designated bathing waters, so improving the water quality is a huge priority for us.

“We are already seeing progress with storm overfill spills down 17 per cent and spill duration down 25 per cent over the past year, despite significantly higher rainfall.

“We’re also on track to meet new Environmental Act bathing water standards by 2030, five years ahead of the national deadline.”

Although Severn Trent and Yorkshire Water come in notably at second and third place for sewage spills, both are outstripped by South West Water by nearly, or over, 200,000 spill hours.

The company also ranked highest for average spill-time per outflow at 419 hours, with Thames and Southern Water following closely behind at 387 and 270 respectively.

Meanwhile, its designated bathing spots saw the most pollution incidents and warnings recorded across all companies.

All of this comes as South West Water’s roughly 1.8 million customers face some of the highest average water bills across the country at £726 annually.

Since 2024 these have seen the second biggest increase in England, rising by 39 per cent.

Friends of the Earth are calling for the government to introduce a new Clean Water Bill and believes the new Prime Minister must bring the nation’s water under full public ownership as part of building a greener, fairer future.

It’s the group’s view that a resource as essential as water should not be sold for private profit, and that communities, rather than shareholders, should control the resources they depend on.