Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey has demanded water companies including South West Water, share their plans on improving Britain’s water infrastructure.

The fresh move is part of the drive for better water quality, building on significant work with industry and regulators, allowing government to track progress of investment and new projects.

The announcement comes after last year's summer of sewage, where waterways across Devon and beyond were subject to criticism and protest for their practice of dumping raw sewage into popular swimming spots.

Coffey has also set out more detail on how water companies will face higher penalties that are quicker and easier to enforce.

Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey said:

'People are concerned about the impacts of sewage entering our rivers and seas and I am crystal clear that this is totally unacceptable.

'We need to be clear that this is not a new problem. Storm overflows have existed for over a century. The law has always allowed for discharges, subject to regulation. That is how our Victorian sewers are built – wastewater and rain are carried in the same pipe. When it reaches a certain height it pours into another pipe and into rivers.

'And while we have done more about it than any other government – we were the first government to require companies to start comprehensively monitoring spillage so that we could see what was actually going on – there is still significant work to do.

'Through the largest infrastructure programme in water company history we will tackle the problem at source, with more investment on projects like the new Thames Tideway super sewer. I am making sure that regulators have the powers they need to take action when companies don’t follow the rules, including higher penalties that are quicker and easier to enforce.

'I am now demanding every company to come back to me with a clear plan for what they are doing on every storm overflow, prioritising those near sites where people swim and our most precious habitats.'

The Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan, published last year, required water companies to deliver the largest infrastructure programme in water company history - £56 billion capital investment over 25 years.