South West Water Launches £2million Fund to Tackle Sewer Misuse and Misconnections

New funding announced to combat sewer misuse and faulty connections

South West Water has unveiled a £2million fund aimed at cracking down on sewer misuse and household misconnections across the South West, with a five-year plan to tackle pollution, protect the environment and support communities.

What is a misconnection?

A misconnection occurs when a property’s wastewater is wrongly piped into the surface water network, or when rainwater is routed into the foul sewer system. Both types can lead to sewage entering rivers and streams, posing a risk to wildlife, the environment, and public health.

According to Defra, between 150,000 and 500,000 UK households could be affected, making the problem more widespread than many homeowners realise.

Who’s responsible — and what’s being done?

While it’s ultimately up to property owners to resolve misconnections, South West Water’s new fund will offer practical support. The money will go towards:

• Helping households fix plumbing issues

• Carrying out property surveys in high-risk areas

• Supporting local authorities to enforce building codes

The water company will also be working with schools, plumbers and builders to raise awareness of sewer misuse as part of a wider community programme.

Using tech to track hidden pollution

The funding will also support research into cutting-edge technology to detect problems in the sewer system. This includes the use of artificial intelligence and satellite imagery to identify hidden faults. The hope is that these tools will benefit the wider water industry, making it easier and faster to find and fix pollution risks.

A message from the top

Susan Davy, Chief Executive of South West Water, said:
“This new investment is a another step towards preventing sewer misuse and removing misconnections across our region’s water system, which threatens both public health and local ecosystems.

“We’re aiming not just to fix problems but to stop them before they start by raising awareness, offering hands-on support and working closely with communities, tradespeople and local authorities.

“This underscores our commitment to innovation, collaboration and building a cleaner, more sustainable future for the South West that serves our customers while protecting our waterways and the environment.”