For decades, water companies have been allowed to pile up debt while paying excessive dividends to their owners. As a result, raw sewage discharge into our rivers and seas is breaking all records. Outright renationalisation is too expensive, given all the other demands on the public purse. But, by converting water companies into Public Benefit Companies, we’ll ensure they operate in the national interest. At the same time, we’ll replace Ofwat with a tough new regulator with new powers to prevent sewage dumping.
New figures released by the Environment Agency reveal that Southern Water discharged raw sewage for a staggering 317,285 hours last year. Far from getting better, this is 83% worse than in 2022.
Horsham District’s rivers are our heritage and responsibility, and our legacy must be to correct failings and find alternatives to damaging practices.
Liberal Democrats in Horsham have called for Southern Water to scrap their 9.1% water bill hike and have said that there should be “no price rises until water firms scrap insulting overseas dividends and executive bonuses”.
