South West Water slammed by local candidate as execs "rake in more than £1m in pay and perks"

Local Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for South West Devon, Caroline Voaden, has slammed “eye-watering payouts” to top South West Water executives. 

Caroline has slammed the pay-outs as the party reveals South West Water paid their executives £1,188,000 in pay and perks last year.

New analysis of Company House records has revealed the country’s water industry paid out a staggering £10 million in executive salaries last year, the highest on record.

South West Water has rewarded their two executives with a staggering £784,000 in base pay, bonuses and pensions. 

This is despite the firm pumping raw sewage into the local area and being fined over £2m earlier this year for dumping sewage across seas and rivers in Devon and Cornwall.

Over 1,000 hours of sewage poured onto stunning Blackpool Sands beach in South Devon last year - the worst affected Blue Flag beach in the country.

Since 2020, executives at the water firm have paid themselves £5,823,000 in pay and perks.

The local Liberal Democrats have called for a ban on all CEO bonuses within the water industry, as well as the firms to be reformed as “public public companies”. The reforms would put an end to profit before the environment and ensure their boards including environmental experts.

Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for South West Devon, Caroline Voaden said: “Our local waterways are being pumped full of raw disgusting sewage, all whilst the water firm hand themselves insulting pay-outs. The whole thing stinks. These salaries and perks have reached eye-watering levels, yet Conservative Ministers refuse to act.

“I was shocked that there was literally no mention of sewage in the King’s Speech.

“It is time to rip up South West Water so it no longer puts profit before the environment. The firm is clearly not working how it should and is not listening to local concerns on sewage discharges.

“This country’s water industry has become a gravy train where sewage and money flows freely. This is a scandal and happening on this government’s watch.

“When will Conservative Ministers finally get tough on these polluting and profiteering firms?

“These bonuses and perks need to be banned as long as the sewage scandal continues. Bonuses should be a reward for success, not committing environmental crimes.  This money should be invested in our antiquated sewer systems instead.”

South West Water has declined to make an official statement on this, but was keen to point out that the sewage pumped into river and the sea related to storm overflows with pressure relief valves to prevent sewage backing up into homes and overflows includes "surface water and sewage", with surface water making up the majority; and that the Pennon CEO Susan Davy chose to forego her bonus last year and the money was invested into the WaterShare+ scheme.