LIBERAL Democrat MPs in the South West say they have no confidence in the leadership of South West Water.

In a damning letter to Chief Executive Susan Davy, the MPs, led by veteran Cornwall MP Andrew George, and including Newton Abbot MP Martin Wrigley and South Devon MP Caroline Voaden, are calling for a change to the company’s management.

The letter comes after the announcement that SWW is facing a proposed £24 million enforcement package from water regulator Ofwat, following what it has described as its ‘largest and most complex set of investigations’.

The proposed enforcement package follows findings from Ofwat that SWW ‘has failed to meet its legal obligations in managing its wastewater treatment works and network. These failures resulted in the company spilling wastewater to the environment when it should not have done.’

Mrs Voaden said she had joined her Lib Dem colleagues from the south west in telling the company that have no confidence left that the current CEO and board are ‘fit to achieve the changes the public wants to see’.

She said: ‘It’s time for change at the top of SWW.’

The letter says: ‘Having taken account of the context of this investigation, after years of dismay at the regularity and extent of sewage discharges into our rivers and coastal waters, OFWAT’s report is clear regarding SWW’s failure to respect its legal obligations.

‘We regret that what little remaining confidence we had in you as Chief Executive and your Board, has finally been extinguished with this report.

‘We do not believe you or your board are equipped or fit to achieve the kind of ‘transformative change’ sought by the public, as referred to by OFWAT.

‘SWW doesn’t just run a private company. It operates a regulated public service which has the privilege of being a largely monopoly supplier on which our communities depend.

'As such, the public and we, the community’s elected representatives should reasonably expect that you and your board reflect this in the manner these duties and legal obligations are discharged.

‘In the light of OFWAT’s report and after reviewing the situation for the last year since the general election when we had hoped SWW put is house in order, we do not believe you or your board are best placed to drive the transformative change needed.’

The letter is being sent to both OFWAT and DEFRA Secretary of State Steve Reid.

Ofwat’s investigation found that South West Water had failed to build and operate its wastewater treatment works and sewer networks to ensure they performed sufficiently.

SWW CEO Susan Davy said it would take the necessary steps to address the failures Ofwat had identified.

She said: ‘I have always said that when things go wrong, it is how we respond and put things right and that is exactly what we are doing.

‘In response to Ofwat's findings, we have proposed a ringfenced investment programme of £24m to spend more to further reduce spills, tackle sewer misuse and establish a Nature Recovery Fund.

‘This is in addition to the £760m we are already investing over the next five years to reduce the use of storm overflows across the region.’