'Southern Water's apology is far too late after years of sewage scandal' - say Medway Liberal Democrats

Medway Liberal Democrats have called for Southern Water to be overhauled following an overdue apology for sewage dumping. In a statement issued through Water UK today (18th May), water and sewage companies admitted to dragging their heels on taking action to stop sewage discharges into our coastlines, rivers and lakes.

In the wake of this announcement, local Liberal Democrat John Castle says the apology is far too late, and that it is meaningless unless the firm is completely reformed.

The Liberal Democrats are calling for water firms to become “public benefit companies,” making environmental goals more important than profits, and making it compulsory for environmental experts to sit on their company boards. This would put an end to billions of pounds being wasted in dividends whilst sewage destroys waterways.

Liberal Democrats are also demanding an apology from our area's Conservative MP's for voting down tougher action on water firms.

Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Medway, John Castle said: “This announcement is too little too late after years of putting public health at risk and large-scale environmental damage, which has previously been arrogantly dismissed by the water industry.

“This apology means nothing unless the firm is completely reformed from top to bottom. Protecting the environment should be more important than making overseas investors rich. Sadly, Southern Water still has their priorities all wrong.

To add insult to injury, Medway's conservative MP's have spent recent years voting down tougher action on polluting water firms. They too owe people an apology.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

Water and sewage companies in England apologise for sewage spills and launch massive transformation programme:

£10 billion - more than triple current levels – ready to be invested in a new National Overflows Plan, enabling the biggest modernisation of sewers since the Victorian era, and the most ambitious programme on sewage spills in the world.

• A new Environmental hub, launching next year, will for the first time give everyone
near real-time information on overflows, as well as the state of our rivers and coastal
waters.

• Companies will also support up to 100 communities to create new protected waters
for swimming and recreation.

Full announcement from Water UK here.

https://www.water.org.uk/news-item/apology-transformation-programme/