The Guardian2 Jun 2026Macro
Automatically composed with AI from the cited sources
South West Water pleaded guilty to supplying water unfit for human consumption, and Judge Smith handed down the £1.85m penalty after a court heard that a compromised air valve on a high-risk farm—never inspected despite a 2020 policy—had likely caused the cryptosporidiosis outbreak in Brixham, Devon, in spring/summer 2024. The Drinking Water Inspectorate, which brought the prosecution, stated that 537 people became ill, 159 contacted the healthcare system, and 10 were admitted to hospital, while SWW had 22 prior convictions since June 2014; Defra said the fine was a record for a drinking water offence.