Customer trust in water companies at a new low

Over the last few years, residents of Lambourn, Kintbury, Thatcham and Hungerford have witnessed sewage pumping into our rivers, flowing through our streets, and, in some cases, even entering their gardens.  

Only last week, I shared sewage discharge figures from April, amounting to over 500 hours of dry weather spills in just one of eight sewage treatment locations in the constituency.  

You would think that environmental breaches of this magnitude would carry serious consequences for those responsible. Yet, the Environment Agency has not completed a single prosecution of a water company for pollution in five years, despite two million discharges happening in that time.  

It is, therefore, no surprise that customer trust in water companies has now hit a record low. A recent survey revealed that only 44% of customers believe their charges are fair, and only 35% are satisfied with companies’ environmental efforts.

Despite repeated promises to clean up their act, companies like Thames Water continue to dump sewage in our rivers and streams with impunity. Their £320 million pledge to upgrade sewage infrastructure in West Berkshire sits uncomfortably against calls to be exempt from pollution laws. If this is how they behave with regulations in place, what would lifting them mean for public and environmental health?

Given the company’s track record, the capacity of Thatcham's sewage works is a serious concern in the Northeast Thatcham consultation. Existing water infrastructure is already at capacity. Without major upgrades, a 25% increase to the town’s population is only going to cause problems.

The Liberal Democrats have been clear from the start: we need a regulator with real teeth, and we need it now. But we also need a complete shift in how this industry is run. For too long, water companies have been allowed to prioritise shareholder payouts over environmental protection, while communities pay the price. That must end.

We need stronger enforcement, automatic fines for illegal discharges, and a regulator empowered to hold executives personally accountable when they break the rules. We need investment that actually delivers cleaner rivers, rather than empty pledges that mask ongoing pollution and sky-high bonuses.  

The residents of West Berkshire deserve clean water, honest regulation, and a system that works for them, and I will keep fighting until that becomes a reality.

Image credit to Kevin Sheldrake, who captured the Surfers Against Sewage & Eco Friends Sewage Paddle Out Protest.