Adur & Worthing councillor calls on Southern Water to "step up"
It follows the water company's record £90 million fine in July 2021
An Adur & Worthing Councillor has called on Southern Water to "step up" ahead of a meeting tomorrow (Thursday 27th January) in which concerned members of the public can put questions to the utility company.
It follows Southern Water receiving a record £90 million fine in July 2021, after pleading guilty to thousands of illegal discharges of sewage. Those discharges polluted rivers and coastal waters in Kent, Hampshire and Sussex.
At the end of last year, a number of local councillors requested the water company attend a meeting to explain how they're improving their practices and services.
Chair of the Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Councillor Joss Loader (Ind, Marine) said: "They've still got a very long way to go and of course we've have the issues in Lancing, where there was sewage spills at West Beach four times, including over Christmas.
"Unacceptable! I know it's down to ageing pipes, but there needs to be better investment.
"There is a huge amount of concern locally about Southern Water's performance. Obviously it's a coastal district and borough. Lot's of people use the beaches, we have a river in Adur and there's lots of swimmers and water sports enthusiasts even during the winter.
"Fines are all very well, but the perception is that it's public money, indirectly that's paying those fines.
"Southern Water do need to involve the public, but they also need to deliver. We know that these engineering solutions will take time, but they've got to show that they're pushing this forward as a matter of urgency."
30 minutes is being dedicated to the Q&A at the scrutiny committee meeting tomorrow.