BACK in July, The Argus reported that Southern Water had been fined £90 million owing to a number of sewage leaks from their pumps during the previous five years.

So why did the CEO receive a bonus of over £0.5 million?

Interestingly my recent water bill informs me that the unit cost of water is a little higher than last year but not as high as it would have been, owing to (an unknown) rebate arising from said fine ?

As a consumer rights campaigner, I believe I have found a discrepancy in respect of Southern Water's billing for a second standing charge.

Southern already bills consumers for a standing charge on the drinking water we draw from the mains tap so given that the waste water standing charge appears on the same bill, covering the same period of time, I see no justification for this second levy.

The water company charges waste water at a set rate of 92.5 per cent of water usage but I recycle ten per cent of my water so I am already being over charged.

However, since there is no additional work involved by the water monopoly in preparing the bill for waste water I argue that this additional standing

charge is unreasonable. In my case this amounted to an extra £17 over a six-month period.

May I have a credit, Southern Water?

S Zapello

Address supplied