MP renews calls for tougher watchdog after water company fined
Wessex Water has been hit with an £11m penalty for failures and mismanagement of waste water
Wiltshire MP Sarah Gibson has reiterated her calls for a tougher water company regulator after Wessex Water was fined £11 million for sewage water spills.
It's after an investigation by Ofwat, which identified failures and mismanagement of waste water leading to the spills, with water not going through all the treatment processes required before being released into the environment.
Ms Gibson, who represents Chippenham, Calne, Corsham, Royal Wootton Bassett and Lyneham, is one of nine South West Liberal Democrats who are demanding the Government follows through on its promise of a regulator "with teeth".
The group said Wessex Water had "carelessly" polluted beaches and rivers, describing it as "environmental vandalism".
"New enforcement is vital - but this fine alone won’t be anything like enough to protect local families," they said. "No amount of money from Wessex Water could atone for the damage already done, but we must ensure these reckless water companies put an end to sewage dumping and stop putting profit above people once and for all."
The group said the Government's action thus far has been "too little, too late" saying the previous Conservative administrations had allowed the problem to "fester".
"The Government must act and introduce new blue flag protections for our precious rivers, and follow through with their commitment to replacing the defunct Ofwat with a regulator with teeth. Only then can we start to properly hold water companies to account.”
Wessex Water has apologised and vowed to do more to prevent a repeat.
A Wessex Water spokesman said: "We regret the impact our wastewater performance has had on customers and the environment.
"When the issues at our treatment sites were identified we were quick to fix them, but we do agree that there is much more to do - particularly in areas where groundwater enters the sewerage network and can result in overflows operating long after rainfall events.
"The proposals in this package will tackle the problem directly, sealing pipes on private land that we would not normally have powers over, as well as additional monitoring and initiatives like water butts and rain gardens to help customers treat rainwater as a valuable resource.
"This not only prevents pollution but also reduces the risk of sewer flooding for communities.
"Looking ahead, we are planning a step change in the maintenance of our sewerage infrastructure with investment of £300 million in this area by 2030, with expansions to some of our key waste treatment sites either already under way or completed."