A water company's managing director has suddenly left the company after 32 years of service.

Southern Water announced last Thursday Stuart Derwent, 60, its £150,000-a-year boss, was standing down.

Eileen Rowe, head of human resources, responsible for the 2,000 employees at the main water and sewage company in the south of England, has also left the company. She had worked for Southern Water for 15 years.

A company statement said Mr Derwent would be relinquishing his other Southern Water directorships. Chairman Bob Thian would assume Mr Derwent's responsibilities pending the search for a replacement which had already been initiated.

It added: "Southern Water wishes Stuart well and thanks him for his contribution over the past 32 years."

Mr Derwent, who lives in Withdean Crescent, Brighton, told The Argus he had no comment to make about his sudden exit.

It comes two weeks after Southern Water announced its four million customers were facing bill rises of up to 19.25 per cent this year, some of the largest in the country.

Mr Derwent's departure surprised and shocked staff. One of the clerical workers at Durrington said: "There was no indication he was about to leave. He was popular, well liked, kept himself fit, and was well respected. The first thing we knew about it was the brief statement on our web site."

During Mr Derwent's time at Southern Water, the company, which supplies and treats water for customers in Hampshire, the Isle of Wight and Sussex, spent millions on cutting-edge treatment works.

The only part of its empire which does not have a modern treatment works for water discharged into the sea is Brighton.

During an inquiry into the possible siting of the water treatment works for Brighton at Telscombe Cliffs, by extending the Portobello works, Mr Derwent took the attitude that nobody wanted a sewage treatment works close to their homes but of all the options, the extension of Portobello was the best.

Twickenham-born Mr Derwent trained as a civil engineer at Bristol University and joined Southern Water in 1972. He took up his first managerial post in 1985 when he became water controller for Brighton.

He has been married to his wife Lyn for 37 years and has two children and two grandchildren.

Monday March 7, 2005