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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Helena Horton Environment reporter

South West Water ‘not honest’ about drought preparations, watchdog claims

A homeowner in Cornwall switches off their hosepipe
The Environment Agency said the SWW showed complacency before the drought and ‘a lack of understanding of their own supply system’. Photograph: Hugh R Hastings/Getty Images

South West Water has been accused of not being honest with the government about its drought preparations after parts of the country almost ran out of water in 2022, it has emerged.

The Environment Agency (EA) told the water industry regulator Ofwat that SWW was “not honest” with regulators about the risk a drought posed to the company’s water supplies and was inadequately prepared for the heatwave.

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