South West Water targets zero impact on rivers by 2030

South West Water has announced the next steps in its WaterFit environmental strategy, to deliver a step change in green performance on the back of customer feedback, by front-loading and rebalancing investment.

The company said it is on track to deliver £330m to 2025 to improve the quality of the south west’s rivers and seas. The six point plan features:

• nurturing healthy rivers and seas – a commitment to reduce the company's impact on the region's rivers by one third by 2025 and target zero impact by 2030; reduce spills from storm overflows to an average of 20 per year by 2025; and deliver zero serious pollutions by 2025;

• putting nature on everyone’s doorstep - ensuring there is a bathing water within an hour’s drive for all residents;

• creating and restoring habitats – by 2025, working with landowners to stop pollution entering water courses from 120,000 hectares of land; restoring an additional 1,000 hectares of peatland; and planting 250,000 trees;

• inspiring local champions – pledging 25% of community fund donations to river and sea groups and sharing progress with customers through quarterly Watershare+ meetings;

• creating a sustainable future - working with developers, customers and visitors including on wipes and drainage; and

• putting people in control – sharing real time river water quality data (as coastal water quality data is shared) by 2023 and monitoring all wastewater works and storm overflows by 2023.