Thousands of Brits to get £200 payout after burst pipe sparked huge water outage

THOUSANDS of Brits are set to receive £200 compensation after a burst water main left homes and businesses without water for days.

South West Water (SWW) will give a £200 credit to all affected households after water outages hit around 13,000 properties across Devon, Plymouth, Tavistock, Torquay, and nearby areas from Sunday to midweek.

South West Water vans parked on a roadside. — The UK Health Security Agency has confirmed 22 cases of a diarrhoea-type illness caused by the waterborne parasite cryptosporidiumCredit: Neil Hope

Water distribution to residents during a waterborne illness outbreak. — The chaos hit areas across Plymouth,Tavistock and TorquayCredit: Getty

Empty store shelves due to water contamination. — Locals had been falling ill for over a week before South-West Water issued a tap water alert, suggesting that water was boiled before being drankCredit: Neil Hope

The disruption began when a major water main burst, causing widespread outages.

South West Water (SWW) said supplies were expected to return by Wednesday, and as of early Tuesday, engineers were still working non-stop to repair the damage and safely refill the network.

Business customers will be offered tailored compensation packages, depending on the extent of their losses.

They will also receive £100 for every 12 hours without supply and can apply for additional compensation.

Fred Thomas, Labour MP for Plymouth Moor View, pressed SWW for action, calling the situation “unacceptable.”

And said in a series of posts on X that all water supply would return “first thing” on Wednesday morning.

He said he had spoken directly with SWW chief executive Susan Davy to demand a clear timeline and fair compensation.

“I’m pleased they’ve agreed to a £200 credit for households,” said Mr Thomas.

“Businesses can reach out to me directly for help with compensation claims.”

SWW’s Managing Director of Water Services, David Harris, apologised to customers, acknowledging the frustration caused.

“This is a tricky task,” he said.

“We’re refilling hundreds of miles of pipes and clearing air pockets carefully to avoid further issues.

“We didn’t plan this and we’re very sorry.”

The company also confirmed that bottled water stations were set up in key locations including The George Park and Ride, Bere Alston Bowling Club, Knightstone Tearooms in Yelverton, and Morrisons in Tavistock.

Schools, universities, and leisure centres were among the worst affected. Horrabridge Primary and Nursery School closed after struggling to get updates from SWW, while Nuffield Health Devonshire in Plymouth and Plymouth Marjon University also temporarily shut down.

Sir Geoffrey Cox, MP for Tavistock, called for faster support for vulnerable residents and criticised what he described as a “worrying pattern of poor service” from SWW.

Local mum-of-three Morwenna Roesner from Tavistock said her family was without water for more than 36 hours.

“It’s frustrating not being able to do basic things like dishes or shower, but staying hydrated is the most important thing, especially for people on medication,” she said.

SWW reiterated its commitment to fair compensation, describing the payments as a “gesture of goodwill” to make amends for the disruption.