FIGURES which show South West Water losing 107 million litres of water a day due to leaks have sparked an angry response from Newton Abbot MP Martin Wrigley.

The figures come as the water company brings in a hosepipe ban across the area in response to the prolonged dry spell.

South West Water (SWW) says it is working hard to cut down the amount of water which leaks from its pipes.

Mr Wrigley said: ‘South West Water has got away with its grossly negligent handling of our water infrastructure for far too long - now these figures prove it. South West Water needs to urgently get its house in order.

‘Whilst local residents in Newton Abbot have to face a hosepipe ban, South West Water is taking them for a ride.

‘It must stop rewarding its unaccountable bosses with exorbitant bonuses and start investing in fixing the infrastructure so we can avoid this happening time after time.’

Figures showed tha SWW lost 39,347million litres of water due to leaks in 2024/2025 – the equivalent of 5.8 Olympic-sized swimming pools every day.

Mr Wrigley called on the Government to replace OFWAT with a more powerful regulator to ‘hold South West Water to account for its persistent failures’.

He added: ‘Under the mutual model of ownership that we are calling for, infrastructure investment would be a priority for water companies, with bills reinvested into stopping leaks and preventing sewage dumping.’

The water company says the hosepipe ban follows an extended period of exceptionally low rainfall, combined with sustained high demand during the warmer weather.

It says its teams are working tirelessly to protect supplies for customers, maximising water production and increasing leak detection and repairs.

It has also encouraged households to check their own appliances and toilets for potential leaks which may have gone unnoticed.

Data from the House of Commons Library shows SWW losing 107.8million litres of water to leaks every day during 2024/25, amounting to 105.8 litres per customer every day.