A MP has put pressure on leaders from South West Water to tackle the issue of storm overflows during a meeting held in Newquay.

Noah Law, MP for St Austell and Newquay, states there was a “tentative but important shift in tone” by the water company at the gathering held to discuss combined sewer overflows (CSOs), which was held at Towan Head.

Six key combined sewer overflow hotspots identified by Mr Law have now been confirmed as priority sites by South West Water, with detailed modelling work underway to determine the necessary mitigation measures.

However, Mr Law warned that “committing to improve things by the end of a five-year timeframe is not good enough.”

Mr Law said: “In recent weeks I made it clear that if South West Water failed to show the urgency that my constituents demand in dealing with storm overflows, I would be calling for changes in its senior leadership.

“I welcome the company’s response — including a willingness to provide me with greater visibility on the progress of combined sewer overflow modelling in the coming weeks, and, crucially, a commitment to bring forward, as best they can, crucial works ahead of their currently somewhat arbitrary Spring 2027 deadline.

“We must now move from modelling to implementation. Given the updates I’ve received, we should quite soon know exactly what needs to be done — and we need to see spades in the ground. I will continue to hold the company to these commitments.”

The MP also reaffirmed his personal commitment to do what he can to work alongside South West Water and local stakeholders to accelerate delivery of these improvements.

He said: “Whether the barriers are water run-off, infiltration, or the need for additional storage capacity, I am committed to helping unlock them. I’ll continue working with all parties to get this done.”

Mr Law will be hosting two public events later this year, one in St Austell and one in Newquay, as part of that engagement, which will be under the banner tackling sewage pollution.

The sessions will give residents the opportunity to hear directly from stakeholders and ask questions about planned infrastructure upgrades.

A spokesperson for South West Water said: “We are proud to be one of only five companies in the industry to have reduced spills last year compared to 2023.

“Our talented and committed teams are working hard every day to reduce the use of storm overflows, backed by around £760 million of spending over the next five years. We will continue to work to deliver our customers priorities, working with communities and local representatives including members of parliament to help champion the improvements we are making across the region as part of our 15-year investment plan.”

Mr Law addressed the ongoing Environment Agency investigation into the pollution incident at South West Water’s Menagwins wastewater treatment site near Pentewan.

He said: “While the investigation is ongoing, I won’t comment on the specifics. But if it transpires that the company is at fault, I would expect the chief executive to forgo any annual bonus.”

The MP said he has also committed to work with local councillor James Mustoe to press for an ecological impact assessment to better understand if there has been long-term damage to the river in Pentewan.

Mr Law cited the Labour Government’s new Water (Special Measures) Act 2025, which gives regulators powers to withhold bonuses and — in the most serious cases — prosecute water bosses who cover up illegal spills. The legislation came into effect in February this year.

“The message is clear: if you pollute, you pay — and if you hide it, you may go to prison.”

Mr Law said he would provide a further update later in the summer as progress continues on infrastructure improvements across the constituency.