Southern Water bosses reward themselves with £2.6m in bonuses as Lib Dems call for Ofwat to be replaced

The Liberal Democrats have today announced a manifesto commitment to abolish Ofwat and replace it with a new regulator with the power to crack down on water companies dumping filthy sewage into rivers and beaches.

The party has led the campaign against sewage pollution for over three years, and will unveil the boldest offering of any political party on the sewage scandal.

It comes as the latest figures reveal that Southern Water bosses’ have claimed £2.6 in bonuses since 2019, even as sewage continues to pour into our waterways. 

The proposed new regulator for England and Wales would ban all water company executive bonuses, impose fines on sewage dumping, and ensure the industry can no longer hide its polluting activities from the public.

Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Horsham, John Milne said:

“The water industry is utterly broken. Ofwat has proven itself incapable of holding these polluting firms to account.

“Our water industry needs top to bottom reform but Conservative Ministers have sat idly by as the sewage scandal has destroyed our waterways. Their only solution is to make the public pay all over again for the same service.

“It’s not just a national problem. In 2023 Horsham District suffered from over 19,000 hours sewage dumping, as highlighted by local Liberal Democrats. Southern Water is looking for the biggest increase in charges in the country.”

ENDS

Notes:

Environment Agency data on sewage spills