28 August 2007
Britons affected by recent flooding want reassurance from their water supplier that the same thing will never happen again.
According to research carried out by the Consumer Council for Water (CCWater), Gloucestershire residents whose homes and businesses were damaged as a result of the flooding are more interested in promises that the situation will never be repeated, than obtaining compensation.
Although most residents recognised that the flooding and loss of water supply was unprecedented and that Severn Trent Water worked hard to reconnect residents, CCWater found that many remain angry that the situation was allowed to have happened in the first place.
They point out in particular the 'inadequate' contingency planning by Severn Trent and a lack of defences at water treatment works in Mythe, something that CCWater has revealed it is to lobby for improvements.
"Those people who lost their water supply following the floods suffered severe disruption; one person we spoke to said that he and his family had eventually moved out of the area to stay with his mother because they had run out of fresh water for his baby," Dame Yve Buckland, Chair of the Consumer Council for Water explained.
"Many also felt that the bowsers were inappropriately positioned, not kept topped up and that the communication from Severn Trent was insufficient.
"The majority are not seeking compensation. Instead, they want a clear commitment from Severn Trent that the company will invest to protect its infrastructure.
"Importantly, they also want to be able to see this investment - Severn Trent will need to think about the best ways to demonstrate this to its customers.
"We suggest that Severn Trent should treat the correspondence it receives from such customers on a case by case basis and offer appropriate recompense for those in the most need," Dame Yve concluded.
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