Water, Water Everywhere, Much With Plops and Stink
This is a Guest Post
On Wednesday 10th April 2024, I went along to a public meeting regarding the state of our local waterways and coast. The event was held in New Romney’s Assembly Rooms. The Environment Agency presented their findings and Southern Water theirs; the chair, Damian Collins MP, plus a few other local politicians also chipped in their points.
The motivation for this post stems from the position our political system has rendered in – it is at best toothless. The room was packed – in fact, it overflowed into the anteroom usually used for the storage of chairs and tables. The atmosphere was respectful, the answers given often found wanting and insufficient. A perfect example of this was when Southern Water were pressed on their plan to remedy the water quality by a member of the public. The resulting answer revealed that not only would the plan start in 2025 but that it would be anticipated to run until 2030! “We pay our water bills now!” was heard amongst the outcry. A very valid point.
The Water Act 2014, penalty clauses has only been used to fine water companies for their misdemeanors, Southern Water being the record breaking offender in this
These fines hit profit margin, arguably reducing the dividend payments to the shareholders, THEY DO NOT STIPULATE that the issue should be remedied forthwith. Fixing the problem is obviously more financially costly than just suffering the prosecution and fine. Toothless. Within the Water Act 2014, section 117Q (8) it is revealed that individual persons found to have messed with the sewerage system could be incarcerated for up to 24 months – so why is this not extended to the CEOs and other prominent board members carrying this portfolio?
“the penalty on conviction on indictment of an offence under this section is to be deemed to include imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years (in addition to or instead of a fine).”
When one questioner asked: “What more must Southern Water do to lose their licence?” the question was not answered by anyone on the panel. Couldn’t our MP or the Environment Agency answer this? Perhaps, they deemed it flippant. Personally, I cannot think of a more relevant question given the record breaking pollution and performance of Southern Water. We deserve to know how many more times they will be permitted to break the law, don’t we?
A series of people, including councillors, highlighted the plight of our coastal waters and its impact on tourism. Swimming groups, small water sport businesses (some of which have had to close) as well as Dungeness fisherman remarked on the consequences of Southern Water’s ineptitude and questioned why they have not acted sooner. 2025, the start of the planned “fix”, means another lost tourist season; will it be rectified by 2026? 2027? 2028…?
Finally, as mentioned in this blog before, the pumping out of raw sewage into our waterways and seashores, is recorded in hours. Can you quantify one hour of pumped out raw sewage? What would one hour through your communal garden hosepipe belch out over the course of an hour, let alone the huge outflow pipes used in our sewage infrastructure? Crucially, why is this not in a bona-fide measurable, such as litres?
Of course, we don’t know the answer to some of the questions asked, but if you have a question for Southern Water, the Environment Agency or our local MP Damian Collins, then please politely email them.
Southern Water CEO – lawrence.gosden@southernwater.co.uk
Environment Agency CEO – Philip.Duffy@environment-agency.gov.uk
Damian Collins MP – damian.collins.mp@parliament.uk
The Shepway Vox Team
The Velvet Voices of Voxatiousness
Also worth somebody confirming whether or not Damien Collins has shares in Southern Water!!!
@ Beverly
Buried in the small print of the Companies Act 2006 – section 116, to be exact, lies a critical sentence. Anyone requesting access to a company’s list of shareholders has to first of all provide some information:
‘Name & Address‘
‘The purpose for which the information is to be used‘
‘Whether the information will be disclosed to any other person, and if so. . . his name and address‘
This means, if you or any other person/s want to disclose the information about possible shareholdings held by our MP, you’ve got to have psychic powers to guess the names and addresses of anyone who might ever potentially read the released information say on facebook or X (formerly Twitter)
We’d like to re-iterate, we are NOT making this up. This IS the actual law.
I do believe all the ideas youve presented for your post They are really convincing and will certainly work Nonetheless the posts are too short for novices May just you please lengthen them a little from subsequent time Thanks for the post