Thames Water backs down over East Ilsley generator claims

THAMES Water has backed down over claims that it was unable to build a back-up generator at a pumping station in Compton because of financial restraints placed upon it by Ofwat.
At a parish council meeting with representatives of the water firm last week, furious East Ilsley residents demanded the installation of a generator after a power cut had caused the pumping station to fail and sewage to flood the village’s streets, homes and pond during the Easter bank holiday weekend.
However, Thames Water said that it could not guarantee the installation of a generator. blaming strict governance of its finances by Ofwat.
When quizzed by the Newbury Weekly News, though, a spokesman for Ofwat challenged this claim.
“In terms of the day-to-day operations, it is entirely the decision of the water company,” he said.
“We set limits on how much it can charge its customers, but we generally don’t set limits on how it can deal with customer’s problems.
“As the economic regulator, we are here to ensure it is operating efficiently, at the right time and in the right place.”
At the meeting, East Ilsley parish councillor Andrew Sharp accused the water company of “putting shareholders firmly before customers” and said that they had been waiting 10 years for the back-up.
Speaking to the Newbury Weekly News this week, Mr Sharp said: “Thames Water is an absolute disgrace and should have its licence taken away from it.”
At the same meeting, Thames Water said that West Berkshire Council had not informed the company that the village was a flood risk.
Mr Sharp added: “To say that Thames didn’t know it was a risk is just laughable. We put our questions to it weeks in advance of the meeting, and that was the best it could come up with. It is beyond a joke.
“Ten years after we first raised concerns about flooding, we are still waiting for a back-up generator that is desperately needed.
“It isn’t prepared to listen to residents’ pleas, but it is happy to put its shareholders and profits first yet again by building a solar farm just down the road, in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
“It is this big monopoly and thinks it can do whatever it pleases. It’s about time it stopped.”
Earlier this month, Ofwat announced that it intended to block Thames’ request for a price increase that would add around £29 to the average household bill from next year.
Ofwat is expected to make a final decision on the proposed rises next month.
A spokeswoman for Thames Water said: “Our representatives might be getting confused.
“I think there has possibly been a miscommunication somewhere down the line. Ofwat is right, we wouldn’t expect them to get involved in local issues.”
She added: “We are putting a case together internally at Thames Water for putting a back-up generator in the pumping station.
“We have to put a case together and go through internal approvals because, as a regulated company, we have to account for every pound spent of customer money. The case will go ultimately go to our investment committee for review.
“This is not part of the Ofwat business planning process and the case does not go to our regulator for approval.”