As South West Water defends a court action from a Devon swimmer, it also claims it has no legal duty to keep waters clean

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/13700940

South West Water is claiming it has no legal obligation to keep rivers and seawater clean of sewage in its defence against a Devon swimmer who is taking the water company to court.

Jo Bateman, who attempts to swim every day off the coast of Exmouth, is taking legal action against South West Water, claiming its frequent sewage discharges into the sea have taken away her legal right to a public “amenity”.

However, in its defence to Ms Bateman’s claim, seen by i, the water firm states no one has a legal right to swim in the sea.

  • Schal330@lemmy.worldEnglish
    11·
    8 months ago

    What will actually happen is the company will get a slap on the wrist and told to clean it up. From there they will up their customers prices in order to clean up their own negligence.

    • soggy_kittyEnglish
      7·
      8 months ago

      Lol no they won’t clean it up. They’ll just take the money from the price rise

      • Lemming421@lemmy.worldEnglish
        2·
        8 months ago

        Or the CEO will get a golden parachute, the company will fail, the government will bail it out (because water companies are monopolies in the UK in their areas so you have to make sure the water keeps flowing) and a new CEO who’s probably mates with some Cabinet ministers will get in and the whole cycle will repeat. And they still won’t clean it up.

        • soggy_kittyEnglish
          1·
          8 months ago

          It’s just crazy that a random stranger on Lemmy who probably has zero background in politics understands how the British system works more than most in government.

          Well on second thought, the government knows, they just like it this way

          • Lemming421@lemmy.worldEnglish
            31·
            8 months ago

            Can confirm: do not have a background in politics.

            I am a Brit though, and am getting increasingly cynical as I get older.