A NEWTON Abbot company has been handed a £1,400 penalty for illegally abstracting water in Exeter.

Devon Tarmasters, based on the Decoy Industrial Estate, was fined £400 and ordered to pay £1,000 costs for taking water from the South West Water (SWW) network at Marsh Barton in the city.

And it has now issued a warning to companies that they face similar punishments if they steal water from its public supply.

The offenders, based in Silverhills Road, fell foul of the law on July 19 last year.

Their transgression was heard by Exeter magistrates who who imposed the penalty last month.

Two others firms were also in the SWW firing line.

Manchester-based Choice Render Ltd was ordered to pay fines, costs and compensation of more than £2,000 for the illegal abstraction of water in Paignton on August 24 last year with a second offence in Okehampton in October.

Harris and Harris Construction Ltd, a civil engineering company from Bridgwater, was ordered to pay fines and costs of £1,510 for using an unauthorised standpipe connected to a non-designated hydrant while working on a housing development near Poltimore, just outside Exeter, in July and August 2016.

Bob Taylor, South West Water’s operations director for drinking water services, said: ‘Connecting unauthorised standpipes to our network is an issue we take very seriously.

‘It creates a potential risk to water quality, which could result in public health issues and damage our infrastructure.’

He added: ‘It can also interfere with our customers’ supplies or fire service activities. We monitor the use of our network closely and will take action against anyone who is detected making unauthorised use of a standpipe.’

Mr Taylor said only authorised standpipes could be connected to South West Water’s infrastructure at approved locations.

Unauthorised use could result in a fine of up to £3,000 for each breach of the law.

To help all customers, including charities and community organisations holding outdoor events, South West Water has set up a special standpipe hire service with Aquam Water Services Ltd. 

Anyone interested in more information – or wanting to arrange standpipe hire – can contact Aquam Water Services Ltd on 0844 756 4000 or email them via [email protected].