MP seeks answers after Dousland water outage

South West Devon MP Rebecca Smith has said she will be “holding South West Water to account” after a burst water pipe in Dousland over the Easter weekend led to widespread disruption.

The incident affected more than 9,500 properties, including homes, schools and businesses, which were left without water.

In a statement, South West Water said: “This burst was caused by a build-up of pressure in the system which we believe was caused by a pump control fault, not ageing infrastructure.”

Ms Smith said she had contacted South West Water following concerns raised by residents and had since received a response from the company’s chief executive.

“After the burst water pipe in Dousland over Easter Weekend, I contacted South West Water to highlight the serious concerns raised by many residents. I have now received a response from their CEO, Susan Davy.

“SWW has acknowledged the disruption caused and expressed regret for the impact on residents and businesses. They have confirmed that affected households have received compensation, with some businesses receiving up to £500. If you still haven't received this compensation, or if you are a business needing further assistance, please do get in touch as I am happy to take up individual business cases.

“SWW has assured me that a full review is underway to understand what went wrong and how to prevent similar incidents in the future. Once this review is complete, they have committed to meeting with me to discuss improvements.

“While I welcome this commitment, I will be holding South West Water to account and monitoring the situation closely to ensure they follow through on their promise to meet with me. I know how frustrating this situation has been for many residents, and I will continue to press for better communication and contingency planning from SWW.

“Thank you to everyone who has shared their concerns with me. I've attached a copy of the letter I received from South West Water and will keep you updated as and when I hear more.”

In response, South West Water said: “We are very sorry for what happened at Dousland and our investigation is ongoing so that we can learn from it and prevent similar incidents from happening again. We are compensating customers who were affected and look forward to continuing our conversations with Rebecca Smith.”

The company has said a full review is underway, and it plans to meet with Ms Smith once it is complete.