South West Water Launches £2 Million Fund to Support Community Environmental Projects

South West Water has launched a new £2 million Nature Recovery Fund to support community-led projects that focus on improving biodiversity, water quality and environmental resilience across Cornwall and the wider South West.

Supporting Local Environmental Work

The investment is designed to assist environmental partnerships operating throughout Cornwall, Devon and neighbouring areas. The funding will go towards expanding volunteer programmes run by local environmental groups that are already working at grassroots level on biodiversity and nature conservation.

Some of the money will also be used to support local efforts to improve water quality in the River Dart.

Tackling Rainwater and Sewer Overflows

Collaborative projects with Plymouth City Council and the Environment Agency will focus on better rainwater harvesting and catchment management. These projects aim to improve bathing water quality by storing or diverting rainwater during periods of heavy rainfall. By reducing the amount of water entering the sewer system, the schemes hope to limit the number of storm overflow events.

A community rainwater storage project in St Agnes is also included in the plans.

Expanding Nature Projects Across the Region

The fund will help expand existing community-driven schemes such as pond creation and tree planting. South West Water says funding priorities will be shaped in partnership with local environmental stakeholders to ensure the support goes where it’s most needed.

Susan Davy, Chief Executive of South West Water, said:
“We are continuing to make big improvements to our environmental record. This fund will help to support grassroots, community-led work to protect and restore our natural environment across the regions we serve.

“Over the next five years, South West Water will continue to invest in critical infrastructure, increasing capacity across our estate and guarding against future disruptions.

“We look forward to working with partners and communities across our areas as we increase our efforts to protect and support the environment across the whole of our region.”

South West Water serves communities across Cornwall, Devon and the wider South West.