Water companies vow to improve following complaints (From The Argus)

As long as the consumer has no choice (Like with Gas, n , Leccy), then no chance,,,,,mind you with gas and Leccy things are still carp.

Not only the most complained about, Southern Water are in the TOP TEN Industrial polluters in the UK (3 are water companies)
The Environment Agency has prosecuted Southern Water after failures led to over 60 properties being flooded with sewage.

JUNE 2012
The water company was taken to court after failing to take reasonable steps to prevent escape of sewage, which led to the flooding of around 60 residential and business premises in Herne Bay in August 2010. The properties, mainly basement flats, were flooded to a depth of up to four feet by sewage which backed up from the King’s Hall pumping station when it failed to deal adequately with a period of heavy rainfall.

Southern Water Services had originally pleaded guilty to the charge at Canterbury Magistrates Court on 17 January but the magistrates felt that their powers of sentence were insufficient. The case was sent to Canterbury Crown Court and was heard yesterday (5 March). The water company was fined £50,000. The costs of the investigation had been dealt with between the parties.

The court heard that despite the level of rainfall, the flooding would not have occurred but for a number of failures by Southern Water Services. The most significant were that a valve which should have been left open was closed preventing the storm overflows from going out to sea and that the company had failed to maintain warning systems that would have alerted controllers to this fact.

August 2012
SOUTHERN Water has been fined more than £12,000 after supplying water unfit for human consumption in Chandler’s Ford.

In 2007 Southern Water were fined £20.3 million for 'deliberate misreporting' and failing to meet guaranteed standards of service to customers. Southern Water Chief Executive Les Dawson said: "Today's announcement draws a line under a shameful period in the company's history".

In 2011 Southern Water Ltd were fined £25,000 when sewage flooded into Southampton water.

The company was ordered to pay £10,000 in fines and costs after sewage seeped into a stream at Beltinge in Kent

A leak of sewage from Southern Water's plant at Hurstpierpoint pumping station, West Sussex, lead to fines and costs of £7,200 in 2011.

Southern Water were fined £50,000 in April 2011 for two offences relating to unscreened discharges into Langstone Harbour, Hampshire, between November 2009 and April 2010.

In June 2010 Southern Water was fined £3,000 after it admitted polluting 2km of a Sussex stream with raw sewage, killing up to a hundred brown trout and devastating the fish population for the second time in five years. Crawley Magistrates’ Court heard last week that the Environment Agency received calls from members of the public after dead fish were seen in the Sunnyside Stream in East Grinstead on 30 August last year.

The Environment Agency has prosecuted Southern Water after failures led to over 60 properties being flooded with sewage.

The water company was taken to court after failing to take reasonable steps to prevent escape of sewage, which led to the flooding of around 60 residential and business premises in Herne Bay in August 2010. The properties, mainly basement flats, were flooded to a depth of up to four feet by sewage which backed up from the King’s Hall pumping station when it failed to deal adequately with a period of heavy rainfall.

Southern Water Services had originally pleaded guilty to the charge at Canterbury Magistrates Court on 17 January but the magistrates felt that their powers of sentence were insufficient. The case was sent to Canterbury Crown Court and was heard yesterday (5 March). The water company was fined £50,000. The costs of the investigation had been dealt with between the parties.

The court heard that despite the level of rainfall, the flooding would not have occurred but for a number of failures by Southern Water Services. The most significant were that a valve which should have been left open was closed preventing the storm overflows from going out to sea and that the company had failed to maintain warning systems that would have alerted controllers to this fact.

There are scores more and many still going through the Courts as we speak Any truly private non protected company would be shut down

spencer1973 wrote:
As long as the consumer has no choice (Like with Gas, n , Leccy), then no chance,,,,,mind you with gas and Leccy things are still carp.

Well exactly no other supplier, so prices are skyhigh. I'm on a water meter now so price per month has gone down. Combined bill before that, from SW and SEW was about £600 a year. Horrendous!!

..and yet SE Water is still banging on about lack of rain and depleted aquifers as if they owned the stuff!
Strange that their statistics are provided by the Environment Agency and only two or three aquifers in SE Water's area seem to be monitored. These show reserves to be high or exceptionally high
A clear case of trying to distract from their own management inadequacy.

Tailgaters Anonymous wrote:
..and yet SE Water is still banging on about lack of rain and depleted aquifers as if they owned the stuff!
Strange that their statistics are provided by the Environment Agency and only two or three aquifers in SE Water's area seem to be monitored. These show reserves to be high or exceptionally high
A clear case of trying to distract from their own management inadequacy.

...And that they lose over 85 million litres a day through leaks... Last year Southern Water, which made an operating profit of £191m in 2010-2011, failed to meet its target (again) for reducing leaks for the second year running and has been ordered by Ofwat to return £5 million to customers through their bills.

Ofwat figures show that in 2010-2011 Southern Water lost 96 million litres of water per day (Ml/d, the official unit of measurement) in leaks – enough to supply five cities the size of Exeter with water for a year. The amount lost amounted to 16 per cent of its daily total.

As a result it missed the target set by Ofwat for reducing leaks to 83 by 16 per cent. the complete contents of Bewl Water EVERY DAY through leaks.

I complained to Southern Water after they threatened to take me to court for non-payment of water rates on a property in which I had no interest.

After I had had no reply for 3 months, I wrote to the Chairman. I eventually got a reply from their legal department (I never got anything from Customer Services) basically saying I was a liar and that they had never received a letter of complaint from me.

As I had sent the letter recorded delivery, I was not only able to prove I had sent it, but even sent a facsimile of the signature of the person who signed for it. Long months passed before I got a reply acknowledging that they had received the original letter but were delayed in replying due to the incompetance of the courts!

Recorded complaints to Southern Water HAVE gone down, because the customers realise that the company will either ignore them or fob them off. As for compensation for their mistakes, forget it.

Tailgaters Anonymous wrote:
..and yet SE Water is still banging on about lack of rain and depleted aquifers as if they owned the stuff! Strange that their statistics are provided by the Environment Agency and only two or three aquifers in SE Water's area seem to be monitored. These show reserves to be high or exceptionally high A clear case of trying to distract from their own management inadequacy.

Yep, just rank bad management obsessed with profits and shareholders. Nothing else. Always found their customer service to be OK, but nothing more than that. I can't believe I have pay nearly £300 a year for water drainage to southern Water, it's **** daylight robbery.

Another legacy of Thatcher that privatised every industry, in order to line the pockets of the rich fat cats and screw everyone else.

F in L wrote:
Not only the most complained about, Southern Water are in the TOP TEN Industrial polluters in the UK (3 are water companies)
The Environment Agency has prosecuted Southern Water after failures led to over 60 properties being flooded with sewage.

JUNE 2012
The water company was taken to court after failing to take reasonable steps to prevent escape of sewage, which led to the flooding of around 60 residential and business premises in Herne Bay in August 2010. The properties, mainly basement flats, were flooded to a depth of up to four feet by sewage which backed up from the King’s Hall pumping station when it failed to deal adequately with a period of heavy rainfall.

Southern Water Services had originally pleaded guilty to the charge at Canterbury Magistrates Court on 17 January but the magistrates felt that their powers of sentence were insufficient. The case was sent to Canterbury Crown Court and was heard yesterday (5 March). The water company was fined £50,000. The costs of the investigation had been dealt with between the parties.

The court heard that despite the level of rainfall, the flooding would not have occurred but for a number of failures by Southern Water Services. The most significant were that a valve which should have been left open was closed preventing the storm overflows from going out to sea and that the company had failed to maintain warning systems that would have alerted controllers to this fact.

August 2012
SOUTHERN Water has been fined more than £12,000 after supplying water unfit for human consumption in Chandler’s Ford.

In 2007 Southern Water were fined £20.3 million for 'deliberate misreporting' and failing to meet guaranteed standards of service to customers. Southern Water Chief Executive Les Dawson said: "Today's announcement draws a line under a shameful period in the company's history".

In 2011 Southern Water Ltd were fined £25,000 when sewage flooded into Southampton water.

The company was ordered to pay £10,000 in fines and costs after sewage seeped into a stream at Beltinge in Kent

A leak of sewage from Southern Water's plant at Hurstpierpoint pumping station, West Sussex, lead to fines and costs of £7,200 in 2011.

Southern Water were fined £50,000 in April 2011 for two offences relating to unscreened discharges into Langstone Harbour, Hampshire, between November 2009 and April 2010.

In June 2010 Southern Water was fined £3,000 after it admitted polluting 2km of a Sussex stream with raw sewage, killing up to a hundred brown trout and devastating the fish population for the second time in five years. Crawley Magistrates’ Court heard last week that the Environment Agency received calls from members of the public after dead fish were seen in the Sunnyside Stream in East Grinstead on 30 August last year.

The Environment Agency has prosecuted Southern Water after failures led to over 60 properties being flooded with sewage.

The water company was taken to court after failing to take reasonable steps to prevent escape of sewage, which led to the flooding of around 60 residential and business premises in Herne Bay in August 2010. The properties, mainly basement flats, were flooded to a depth of up to four feet by sewage which backed up from the King’s Hall pumping station when it failed to deal adequately with a period of heavy rainfall.

Southern Water Services had originally pleaded guilty to the charge at Canterbury Magistrates Court on 17 January but the magistrates felt that their powers of sentence were insufficient. The case was sent to Canterbury Crown Court and was heard yesterday (5 March). The water company was fined £50,000. The costs of the investigation had been dealt with between the parties.

The court heard that despite the level of rainfall, the flooding would not have occurred but for a number of failures by Southern Water Services. The most significant were that a valve which should have been left open was closed preventing the storm overflows from going out to sea and that the company had failed to maintain warning systems that would have alerted controllers to this fact.

There are scores more and many still going through the Courts as we speak Any truly private non protected company would be shut down

But who pays these fines? If it is the water companies, the fine goes on the consumer's bill. Name and shame the top people involved; take the fine from their unrealistic salaries.
Even £50 000 is affordable if your salary is £100 000 plus.

Can never understand why in my area we have separate water and sewerage providers, ie South East Water and Southern Water. Two lots of staff, premises etc, no wonder we are paying £600 a year.South East water charge went up over 8 per cent for this year, meter now provided but suspect they will still have the cheek to apply another big increase next year. Banks, gas, electricty, petrol, its all a rip-off.

FYI, Kim Salmon is a bloke, not a woman.

Sussex jim wrote:

F in L wrote:
Not only the most complained about, Southern Water are in the TOP TEN Industrial polluters in the UK (3 are water companies)
The Environment Agency has prosecuted Southern Water after failures led to over 60 properties being flooded with sewage.

JUNE 2012
The water company was taken to court after failing to take reasonable steps to prevent escape of sewage, which led to the flooding of around 60 residential and business premises in Herne Bay in August 2010. The properties, mainly basement flats, were flooded to a depth of up to four feet by sewage which backed up from the King’s Hall pumping station when it failed to deal adequately with a period of heavy rainfall.

Southern Water Services had originally pleaded guilty to the charge at Canterbury Magistrates Court on 17 January but the magistrates felt that their powers of sentence were insufficient. The case was sent to Canterbury Crown Court and was heard yesterday (5 March). The water company was fined £50,000. The costs of the investigation had been dealt with between the parties.

The court heard that despite the level of rainfall, the flooding would not have occurred but for a number of failures by Southern Water Services. The most significant were that a valve which should have been left open was closed preventing the storm overflows from going out to sea and that the company had failed to maintain warning systems that would have alerted controllers to this fact.

August 2012
SOUTHERN Water has been fined more than £12,000 after supplying water unfit for human consumption in Chandler’s Ford.

In 2007 Southern Water were fined £20.3 million for 'deliberate misreporting' and failing to meet guaranteed standards of service to customers. Southern Water Chief Executive Les Dawson said: "Today's announcement draws a line under a shameful period in the company's history".

In 2011 Southern Water Ltd were fined £25,000 when sewage flooded into Southampton water.

The company was ordered to pay £10,000 in fines and costs after sewage seeped into a stream at Beltinge in Kent

A leak of sewage from Southern Water's plant at Hurstpierpoint pumping station, West Sussex, lead to fines and costs of £7,200 in 2011.

Southern Water were fined £50,000 in April 2011 for two offences relating to unscreened discharges into Langstone Harbour, Hampshire, between November 2009 and April 2010.

In June 2010 Southern Water was fined £3,000 after it admitted polluting 2km of a Sussex stream with raw sewage, killing up to a hundred brown trout and devastating the fish population for the second time in five years. Crawley Magistrates’ Court heard last week that the Environment Agency received calls from members of the public after dead fish were seen in the Sunnyside Stream in East Grinstead on 30 August last year.

The Environment Agency has prosecuted Southern Water after failures led to over 60 properties being flooded with sewage.

The water company was taken to court after failing to take reasonable steps to prevent escape of sewage, which led to the flooding of around 60 residential and business premises in Herne Bay in August 2010. The properties, mainly basement flats, were flooded to a depth of up to four feet by sewage which backed up from the King’s Hall pumping station when it failed to deal adequately with a period of heavy rainfall.

Southern Water Services had originally pleaded guilty to the charge at Canterbury Magistrates Court on 17 January but the magistrates felt that their powers of sentence were insufficient. The case was sent to Canterbury Crown Court and was heard yesterday (5 March). The water company was fined £50,000. The costs of the investigation had been dealt with between the parties.

The court heard that despite the level of rainfall, the flooding would not have occurred but for a number of failures by Southern Water Services. The most significant were that a valve which should have been left open was closed preventing the storm overflows from going out to sea and that the company had failed to maintain warning systems that would have alerted controllers to this fact.

There are scores more and many still going through the Courts as we speak Any truly private non protected company would be shut down

But who pays these fines? If it is the water companies, the fine goes on the consumer's bill. Name and shame the top people involved; take the fine from their unrealistic salaries.
Even £50 000 is affordable if your salary is £100 000 plus.

.......With you 100% ..... Make someone in the Organisation the 'Responsible' person and prosecute the individual