A MP has put pressure on South West Water following concerns untreated sewage is being discharged from storm overflows on days without significant rainfall.

Jayne Kirkham, MP for Truro and Falmouth, met Keith Haslett, new chief executive of South West Water (SWW) and parent company Pennon, in Parliament after constituents highlighted the issue.

The meeting also focused on the reliability of monitoring systems, sewage infrastructure, customer communications and water leakage as well as the dry spills.

Ms Kirkham had written to South West Water ahead of the meeting regarding a series of reported dry spills in the constituency and was told that both of the August reports in Flushing and Penryn St Thomas were determined to be false activations due to the sensitivity of monitoring equipment.

She said: "This uncertainty fuels the justifiable concerns of my constituents that the data and monitoring systems are not robust nor trustworthy. These reports continue to generate understandable worry, particularly given the track record of sewage discharges into our local rivers and bathing beaches.”

Ms Kirkham highlighted the confusion and alarm caused by these activations, especially when they continue to be visible on the South West Water overflow map webpages. The water company agreed during the meeting that it would review how information on spills is presented and pledged to make sure it is timely, correct and up to date.

Ms Kirkham also raised concerns regarding the Pendennis Falmouth sewage outfall, which has been under maintenance since August. The CEO acknowledged that customers should be kept better informed when sites are undergoing extended maintenance.

Ms Kirkham also pressed South West Water on several infrastructure failures affecting businesses, highlighting sewage ingress linked to faulty infrastructure on Calenick Street in Truro, and the impact of the St Mawes water main burst. The water company took these matters away to be *urgently* investigated.

The MP further raised concerns about South West Water’s water leakage. She said: “The South West faces significant challenges with leaks. People understand the need to use water responsibly, especially during periods of dry weather like we experienced this summer. They also expect water companies to do the same.

“South West Water customers pay some of the highest water bills in the country and rightly expect leaks to be repaired quickly and investment made in the infrastructure we all rely on.”

Mr Haslett set out the company's response to significant leakage challenges, including plans to bring more leak detection and repair work in-house, and invest in more than 100 staff members and a new team to focus on and reduce leaks.

Ms Kirkham also stressed that planned housing growth must be matched by investment in water and sewage infrastructure:

"As developments such as Pydar and Langarth grow, water and sewage infrastructure must keep pace. South West Water will need to increase capacity so it can support new homes,” she said.

Ms Kirkham also raised concerns with South West Water regarding reports from constituents whose bills increased significantly after new water meters were installed.