Commenting on the £22m fine imposed on South East Water today (Thursday) by regulator Ofwat over repeated supply failures, UNISON head of environment Donna Rowe-Merriman said:
“Hundreds of thousands of people in Kent and Sussex left without running water will think it’s only right their supplier has been penalised.
“Being unable to wash, cook or even flush the toilet is distressing and unsafe. No household should go through that because a water company failed to do its duty properly.
“Investigators found failures to maintain pipes, reservoirs and other key infrastructure. That left the network unable to cope with high demand or the increasingly extreme weather.
“South East Water may be in the frame today but this isn’t just about one firm. It reflects a wider pattern across the privatised water industry, where years of underinvestment have left vital services struggling and customers paying the price.
“Water is a basic and essential service. Instead of a fragmented system driven by shareholders, it should be run in the public interest. Bringing water back into public ownership would mean investment going into infrastructure, staff and communities – not shareholders’ pockets.”
Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union, with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service, energy and water. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.
Media contacts:
Anthony Barnes M: 07834 864794 E: a.barnes@unison.co.uk
Mark Conrad M: 07809 623703 E: m.conrad@unison.co.uk
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