The council is planning to host its Devon’s first Water Quality Summit in the autumn, external.

Organisers said the summit aimed to bring together regulators, water companies, district councils, landowners, community groups and other stakeholders.

A SWW spokesperson said: “We recognise concerns about water quality in Devon and we continue to work proactively with councils to discuss our local plans and deliver improvements.

“We are looking forward to the opportunity to discuss our multimillion-pound plans to improve water quality at Devon County Council’s water summit.

“We appreciate the opportunity to help shape the event and continue to engage constructively with the council.”

Keith Haslett, the new chief executive of Pennon, which owns SWW, said the group could not comment on the Devon council’s plans, but said the group “fully respects the outcome of the legal process”.

South West Water provides water and sewerage services to about 1.8 million customers in Devon and Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly, plus small parts of Dorset and Somerset.

A lawsuit by law firm Leigh Day against SWW over sewage pollution includes people from the Devon towns of Dawlish, Sidmouth, Teignmouth, Exmouth, Budleigh Salterton and Lympstone, as well as Newquay and Penzance in Cornwall.

Lawyers argued SWW’s failings were “wide and entrenched in many coastal towns across the Devon and Cornwall region”.

The utility said at the time it was aware of the claim but it was unable to provide further comment.

In March, SWW admitted 18 pollution offences across Devon and Cornwall after years of illegal spills which affected rivers, beaches and protected wildlife habitats. It is due to be sentenced on 30 July.

SWW was fined £2.1m in 2023 for similar pollution offences.

The Environment Agency said one of the spills at Kilmington led to the deaths of thousands of fish, including some protected species, in the River Axe.

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