Southern Water is the private utility company responsible for the public wastewater collection and treatment in Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent, and for the public water supply and distribution in approximately half of this area. Some areas within the Southern Water region are supplied by a number of smaller water supply companies. Southern Water supplies an area totalling 4,450 sq. km. and serves 2.26 million customers.[1]
Southern Water is regulated under the Water Industry Act 1991 and since 2021 has been majority-owned by Macquarie Group.
In June 2019, Ofwat proposed a fine of £126 million as a result of Southern Water's failures to operate its wastewater treatment works properly and deliberately misreporting its performance. Ofwat found that failings had resulted in unpermitted and premature spills of wastewater from treatment works, with wastewater being released into the environment before going through the required processes.[2]
In 2020, Southern Water pleaded guilty to 51 offences related to discharging untreated sewage into the sea,[3] and was fined £90m.
History
Origins
The Water Act 1973 resulted in the formation of the Southern Water Authority (SWA), taking the responsibility away from the local authorities.[4] Nevertheless, the SWA maintained a regional management approach, retaining three separate regional headquarters:[5]
The authority took over the assets and duties of the following water undertakings:[6]
A number of private statutory water companies existed within the water authority's area. These continued to exist, and in their supply areas, the water authority provided sewerage services only:
- Otterbourne near Winchester, covering Hampshire
Activities
The company supplies drinking water to roughly 1.1 million properties through its 91 water treatment works and 13,870 kilometres of water mains. Wastewater is treated by the company's network of 365 wastewater treatment works and 39,594 kilometres of sewers.[17]
Southern Water has also opened up some of their activities to the public. This includes the company running guided tours of the Victorian sewers of Brighton and Hove and public access to Bewl Water, one of the largest reservoirs in England. The historic Twyford Waterworks near Winchester is leased to the Twyford Waterworks Trust, who open it on selected days during the year.[18][19]
In September 2024 the Financial Times reported that Southern Water was in talks to tanker-in water supplies from Norwegian fjords.[20]
Performance
Legal issues
2005–2007
In 2007, Ofwat announced its intention to fine Southern Water £20.3 million for 'deliberate misreporting' and failing to meet guaranteed standards of service to customers. The misreporting resulted in Southern Water being able to raise its prices by more than it should have done.[21] Southern Water Chief Executive Les Dawson said: "Today's announcement draws a line under a shameful period in the company's history" and "we accept this fine - we have no arguments with it".[22]
2009–2011
Crawley Magistrates' Court heard that the Environment Agency received calls from members of the public after dead fish were seen in the Sunnyside Stream in East Grinstead on 30 August 2009. The court also heard that a similar incident occurred along the same sewer line some 4 years earlier in September 2005. Following an investigation, in June 2010 Southern Water was fined £3,000 after it admitted polluting 2 km of the Sussex stream with raw sewage, killing up to a hundred brown trout and devastating the fish population for the second time in five years.
External links
References
- Water Resources Management Plan 2015-40 Southern Water, 15 October 2014, retrieved 1 July 2019^
- Notice of OFWAT's proposal to impose a penalty on Southern Water Services Limited Ofwat, retrieved 1 July 2019^
- Southern Water dumped raw sewage into sea for years