VerbatimParliament, as it happens

Water Supply: Plymouth

Asked by Fred ThomasLabourDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled Answered 9 July 2025UIN 64255

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many water supply outages there were in Plymouth in (a) 2022, (b) 2023, (c) 2024 and (d) 2025.

Answered by Emma Hardy

Under the Security and Emergency Measures Direction 2022 (SEMD), all water companies must report to Defra any water outages that impact over 5,000 properties or will last over 24 hours.

In 2025, one incident affecting Plymouth was reported to Defra. Between 21 April and 23 April, a burst water main at a Dousland Water Treatment Works caused a water supply outage to approximately 9,800 properties in Plymouth.

There were no water supply outages in Plymouth reported to Defra in 2022, 2023, and 2024.

Verbatim has judged this answer against the question that was actually asked — answered, partly answered, or evaded. Sign in to see the verdict →

Open this question in Verbatim →

Every written question, searchable

155,000 questions tabled since the election, with the answer each department gave — and the ones still unanswered, with the clock running. Free to search.

Search written questions →Read on Verbatim