press release
    15th March 2004

The Secretary of State's guidance to water companies on the level of investment they will have to make to secure key environmental improvements to water quality has been welcomed as a step in the right direction by Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) - but still falls short of a full environmental programme that could deliver up to £12 billion of benefits to the nation.

Whilst SAS are relieved that efforts to thwart environmental improvements by water companies, water regulators and water customer representative groups have to a degree been seen off, we are disappointed that the Government has not looked to improve UK performance on meeting the higher water quality standard from the bathing water directive.

As more information becomes available from DEFRA, SAS will examine the knock-on effects of the programme on bathing and recreational waters and in particular the impact the programme will have on stopping pollution from intermittent discharges - like combined sewage and stormwater overflows (CSO's). SAS have highlighted these as the chief culprit affecting water quality at rivers and beaches nation-wide.

Last week SAS exposed the inaccuracy of the cost of the environment programme on bills. In the South West Water region we saw that a full environmental improvements programme would contribute less than 3 pence per day to bills.

Whilst bills are set to rise it was unfair of the water industry to use the environment programme as the sole pressure on bills and therefore one that should be radically cut.

SAS maintains that the government should be looking to help customers in lower income regions with support to pay bills, but insists that the water industry should be looking at more sustainable methods of wastewater treatment to give customers value for money whilst providing a clean and safe water environment.

Richard Hardy, SAS Campaigns Director : "We are relieved that the environment is not set to suffer as much as we feared in the race to keep bills down, especially when it adds little to the overall cost of bills. We will strive to ensure further environmental improvements are added to the programme, that the water industry does not try to weaken this guidance and that those who cannot pay their bills get support through the social security system".

For more information please contact Richard Hardy or Matt Davis on Tel: 0845 4583001 or Mob: 07711 767548.

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