Cornwall Council has passed a motion of no confidence in South West Water (SWW) and urged the company to be removed from operating the county’s water and sewage services in favour of a publicly owned organisation.
Move backed by town and parish councils
The motion, debated in a sometimes heated chamber session, noted what councillors described as SWW’s “grave failure” to manage Cornwall’s wastewater. It follows backing from around 60 town and parish councils across the Duchy — a grouping which, councillors said, represents well over half of Cornwall’s population — and a cross-party campaign known as Dowr Glan (Clean Water in Cornish).
Speakers from different parties set out why they supported the motion, though there were differences over the next steps. Green Party members framed the vote as a matter of trust and public safety, while some opposition councillors signalled caution about immediately moving to public ownership.
“We are asking members to take a step towards ensuring that the money we pay through our water bills is invested in waste water infrastructure rather than shareholder returns and executive rewards,”
The motion highlighted continuing incidents of sewage discharges across the county despite regulatory intervention and rising customer bills. Councillors said volunteers have been undertaking water testing in places where they believe the company should be meeting monitoring obligations.
Key points raised in the debate
- Concerns over repeated sewage discharges and their environmental and public health impacts.
- Calls for reinvestment of billpayer funds into wastewater infrastructure rather than shareholder returns.
- Support from many town and parish councils and a cross-party grassroots campaign, Dowr Glan.
Speakers cited SWW’s own data about overflows at popular sites to underline their argument. One councillor described the company as having broken public trust after repeated failures to meet promises on overflow events.
| Issue | Detail |
|---|---|
| Campaign | Dowr Glan (Clean Water) supported by ~60 town and parish councils |
| Council action | Vote of no confidence in South West Water; call for public ownership |
| Main concern | Ongoing sewage discharges and perceived failure to invest in wastewater infrastructure |
Not all councillors were aligned on the pace or form of change. One group welcomed the no-confidence vote but suggested a debate about public ownership remained premature. Others said the scale of reported failures, including detailed instances at local beaches, required urgent action.
The motion will be sent to the Government as a formal request for removing private operators from the county’s water and sewage management and transferring responsibility to a publicly run body. It is not itself a legally binding mechanism to force change but signals robust political pressure from Cornwall’s elected representatives.
Residents concerned about local water quality can consult the council and environmental regulators for current testing and advisory information. The council’s vote adds to a national debate about the structure of water services and the balance between private provision, regulation and public accountability.
