South West Water

South West Water provides water and sewerage services to the whole of Devon and Cornwall, as well as parts of Dorset and Somerset, an area of 4,300 square miles with 1.5 million residents. South West Water also has the highest ratio of coastline to land of all the water and sewerage companies in England and Wales.

South West Water is part of Pennon Group PLC and has over 1,600 staff.

South West Water derives 90% of its water from reservoirs and rivers, and the other 10% from boreholes and aquifers. This water is supplied via 50 water treatment works, 230 pumps, 327 service reservoirs and 15,000 km of water mains.

South West Water collects waste water via 5,000 miles of sewers and treats it in nearly 600 waste water treatment works. South West Water provides water services to around 97% of the region but sewerage services to only 88%, as some people in rural areas use their own methods of sewage disposal such as septic tanks.

To be classed as wholesome, water must comply with the water quality standards set out in the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 1989.

In 2003, 164,957 tests were carried out on samples taken by South West Water. 99.92% of these tests complied with the Regulations (source: http://www.dwi.gov.uk).

South West Water is a soft water area. However water hardness levels can vary within each area. South West Water can provide you with further information about water hardness in your particular area.

South West Water sets out the level of service domestic South West Water customers can expect, such as query response times and notice given for interruption of service. If South West Water fails to meet those levels then customers may be entitled to compensation.