FAULTY monitoring and inconsistent maintenance at Wessex Water has been flagged by the Environment Agency.

Officers in the Westcountry discovered a range of issues during their 790 checks of Wessex Water between 2025 and 2026.

At some sites, problems were found with the screening system to prevent solid waste from entering watercourses.

There was also inadequate management of stormwater storage, leaking pipes and groundwater infiltration, and, inconsistent maintenance leading to blocked channels and overgrown vegetation.

Ed Lockington, water industry regulation manager for the Environment Agency, said:  “Each inspection pushes Wessex Water to improve the key parts of its network we all depend upon, including the environment.

“A strong loop of inspecting, fixing, inspecting, maintaining is at work and will help Wessex Water improve and eliminate issues before they can harm the environment.”

Environment Agency inspectors say they have been “checking sites intensively over the past two years”.

The goal of the checks is to prevent pollution by making sure water companies are operating as they should and within their permits.

If inspections find they are not, then the water company is set strict actions to bring them back into compliance.

The team responsible for inspecting Wessex Water assets, like sewage treatment works and storm tanks, increased its number of inspections by 90 per cent from last year.

Wessex Water has been told to take over 280 actions to comply with Environment Agency permits and any further action being considering.

Of the Wessex Water sites investigated, 72 per cent were found to be compliant with their permits.

Even minor breaches in permits must be actioned by water companies to ensure operations are compliant with permit conditions.

More serious breaches, where there is found to be a higher potential for pollution, can be referred for further investigation which could lead to prosecution or other enforcement action.