A compensation scheme for South West Water customers whose supplies were poisoned has been described as ‘pathetic tokenism’ by a West MP.
Ian Liddell-Grainger says the £115 payments - hastily increased from an initial £15 - would do nothing to restore consumers’ confidence in the company - and in any case would have to be repaid through their own water bills.
The company announced the payments after supplying customers in the Brixham area with water contaminated with cryptosporidium, apparently after animal waste entered the system through a faulty valve.
Dozens of people become violently ill with sickness and diarrhoea and more than 16,000 households have now been advised to boil water before using it - although initially the company assured consumers the water was safe to drink.
Mr Liddell-Grainger, whose Bridgwater and West Somerset constituency includes SWW’s Wimbleball reservoir, said the compensation was pointless.
“It is a meaningless gesture,” he said. “It’s not as though managers and directors were shelling out the money personally. It’s coming from the company funds and the only people who will be offsetting the expense will be the customers themselves.”
Meanwhile he has described a Liberal Democrat attempt to introduce higher fines for polluting water companies as ‘an expensive waste of ink’.
The amendment was introduced in the Commons on Wednesday but was defeated by the Conservatives with Labour MPs abstaining.
Mr Liddell-Grainger said: “It was an utterly pointless measure. There have been far more severe penalties in place since February. Ofwat now has the power to fine offending companies up to 10 per cent of their turnover and that threat will, we are sure, be sufficient to whip them into line.
“As usual the Lib Dems’ heads are full of good ideas - but only ones other people have already had.”
