PLYMOUTH – Green Party Councillor Lauren McLay condemns South West Water’s handling of the recent water outage that has left 13,000 homes, as well as schools and businesses across parts of Plymouth without access to running water. Describing the response as “shambolic,” McLay also highlighted the urgent need for public ownership of water services.
The disruption, caused by a burst main, has persisted for over 24 hours, during which residents have faced long queues at just two water collection points – both accessible only by car. “It’s deeply concerning that South West Water’s response has failed to consider residents without access to a car,” McLay said. “Adequate provisions have not been made for elderly, disabled and vulnerable residents who cannot drive to these limited collection points. It simply isn’t good enough.”
She continues: “Adding this incident to South West Water’s catalog of failures it is impossible to justify the significant increase in customer bills we’ve been subject to,” said Councillor McLay. “We’ve just seen average household bills rise by 28% to £500 a year. It is a scandal that 14% of our bills are used to service the company’s £3.1 billion debt, while £4.5 billion has been paid out in dividends to shareholders in recent years. South West Water’s shareholder greed and persistent underinvestment in infrastructure has led to service outages and record levels of pollution.”
McLay also raised alarm over South West Water’s record on sewage discharges. “As a keen wild swimmer, I was disgusted to learn that South West Water dumped sewage into the Hoe 1,333 times last year, making it the third worst site for sewage overspills in the UK – a podium no one wants their city to be on.”
These issues aren’t unique to South West Water. The current Thames Water crisis is also a product of privatisation, due to a combination of financial mismanagement, underinvestment and environmental failures. The company has amassed nearly £20 billion in debt, largely due to a leveraged financial model that prioritised shareholder dividends over essential infrastructure maintenance. This neglect has led to significant environmental issues, including a 50% increase in raw sewage discharges into rivers in 2024, totaling nearly 300,000 hours. Despite these challenges, Thames Water has continued to distribute dividends, resulting in regulatory fines and public outcry. The company’s financial instability has prompted discussions of temporary nationalisation and necessitated a £3 billion emergency bailout to prevent collapse.
“Water is a basic human right, it should not be controlled by private companies that put profit before people,” said Councillor McLay. “The Green Party believes water should be owned by the public, ensuring everyone has access to clean, safe water at a fair price. Our communities and our environment deserve better than the pollution and neglect caused by privatisation.”