Difference between revisions of "South West Water"
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[[South West Water]] is a company that as of October 2009 supplies water in Devon and Cornwall and parts of Dorset and Somerset. It came into being in 1989 with the privatisation of the water industry.<ref>[http://www.southwestwater.co.uk/index.cfm?articleid=128 About Us], South West Water website, accessed 25 October 2009</ref> | [[South West Water]] is a company that as of October 2009 supplies water in Devon and Cornwall and parts of Dorset and Somerset. It came into being in 1989 with the privatisation of the water industry.<ref>[http://www.southwestwater.co.uk/index.cfm?articleid=128 About Us], South West Water website, accessed 25 October 2009</ref> | ||
| − | == | + | ==Controversies== |
South West Water has repeatedly been named as one of the major polluters of rivers. According to an article in The Sunday Times in October 2009: | South West Water has repeatedly been named as one of the major polluters of rivers. According to an article in The Sunday Times in October 2009: | ||
:Water companies have been prosecuted 342 times in the past five years. The worst offender was South West Water which was prosecuted for 42 pollution offences.<ref>[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article6879440.ece Fines fail to stop river polluters], Sunday Times, 18 October 2009, accessed 25 Oct 2009</ref> | :Water companies have been prosecuted 342 times in the past five years. The worst offender was South West Water which was prosecuted for 42 pollution offences.<ref>[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article6879440.ece Fines fail to stop river polluters], Sunday Times, 18 October 2009, accessed 25 Oct 2009</ref> | ||
| − | Fines for polluting rivers are small. According to the Environment Agency, the average fine for each breach was just £4,411. This is a tiny fraction of water companies' profits. | + | Fines for polluting rivers are small. According to the Environment Agency, the average fine for each breach was just £4,411. This is a tiny fraction of water companies' profits. |
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| + | South West Water customers pay the highest water charges in the UK and South West Water has come under much criticism from consumer and other bodies for this. In July 2009 industry regulator [[Ofwat]] announced plans to compel the company to lower bills in the region by 6 per cent – the exact opposite of proposals outlined in the firm's business plan to put up prices by the same amount.<ref>[http://www.thisisdevon.co.uk/news/Water-bills-ordered-cut-increased/article-1191991-detail/article.html South West Water ordered to cut bills], thisisdevon.co.uk, 24 July 2009, accessed 25 Oct 2009</ref> | ||
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| + | The company blames the fact that the area has the longest coastline in Britain so there are many beaches to keep clean and the low population.<ref>[http://www.thisisdevon.co.uk/news/Water-bills-ordered-cut-increased/article-1191991-detail/article.html South West Water ordered to cut bills], thisisdevon.co.uk, 24 July 2009, accessed 25 Oct 2009</ref> But the high prices may also have something to do with the fact that South West Water has a monopoly on water supply in most of the West Country, so consumers have no choice. | ||
==Notes== | ==Notes== | ||
<references/> | <references/> | ||
[[Category:Water]][[Category:Water: Industry]] | [[Category:Water]][[Category:Water: Industry]] | ||
Revision as of 10:42, 25 October 2009
South West Water is a company that as of October 2009 supplies water in Devon and Cornwall and parts of Dorset and Somerset. It came into being in 1989 with the privatisation of the water industry.[1]
Controversies
South West Water has repeatedly been named as one of the major polluters of rivers. According to an article in The Sunday Times in October 2009:
- Water companies have been prosecuted 342 times in the past five years. The worst offender was South West Water which was prosecuted for 42 pollution offences.[2]
Fines for polluting rivers are small. According to the Environment Agency, the average fine for each breach was just £4,411. This is a tiny fraction of water companies' profits.
South West Water customers pay the highest water charges in the UK and South West Water has come under much criticism from consumer and other bodies for this. In July 2009 industry regulator Ofwat announced plans to compel the company to lower bills in the region by 6 per cent – the exact opposite of proposals outlined in the firm's business plan to put up prices by the same amount.[3]
The company blames the fact that the area has the longest coastline in Britain so there are many beaches to keep clean and the low population.[4] But the high prices may also have something to do with the fact that South West Water has a monopoly on water supply in most of the West Country, so consumers have no choice.
Notes
- ↑ About Us, South West Water website, accessed 25 October 2009
- ↑ Fines fail to stop river polluters, Sunday Times, 18 October 2009, accessed 25 Oct 2009
- ↑ South West Water ordered to cut bills, thisisdevon.co.uk, 24 July 2009, accessed 25 Oct 2009
- ↑ South West Water ordered to cut bills, thisisdevon.co.uk, 24 July 2009, accessed 25 Oct 2009
