Government Calls South West Water Users Polluters

Adrian Sanders has reacted with dismay at the Government's continuing backing for higher water bills in the South West than the rest of the UK.

DEFRA Minister Huw Irranca-Davis stated that the polluter pays principle is being used to justify high water bills for the region.

Following questions from Adrian, the Minister stated: "in the South West, 5% of the nation's customers are paying to clean up 30% of the nation's beaches. However, it is difficult to justify, under the polluter-pays principle, for taxpayers or other company's customers' to meet the costs of treating another company's customers' water and sewage."

The distribution of water companies was, however, allocated by central Government at the point of privatisation and unless customers move out of the region, there is no opportunity to change supplier.

Adrian commented: "It is hard to see how the average water user in the  South West pollutes more than the rest of the country. If anything South West customers are the most environmentally friendly; the high cost of bills even forces some to cut back water consumption to the bare minimum."

"The Government is using one spurious argument after another to justify this water bill apartheid. It is purely an accident of geography and arbitrary central Government demarcations, stemming from privatisation, that cause this."

"It is clear that privatisation has failed for water consumers; there is no chance to change supplier and there can be no competition on price. The Government needs to face facts that water is an essential public resource and that the principle behind these regional water monopolies is fundamentally flawed." 

In Adrian's consultation with Torbay residents over the state of the economy, many highlighted water bills as problematic, contributing to the high poverty rates in the South West region. Adrian is pushing for water provision to be treated as a universial service obligation, like the NHS or royal mail, to be delivered equally to all citizens regardless of their location in the country.