Residents in Camberley, particularly those in the wards of St. Michael's and Watchetts, had to endure an awful odour being emitted from Thames Water's Sewage Works, caused by a failure to manage the infrastructure correctly.
Michael Gove MP, together with local Borough and County Councillors, has been working to resolve this issue, and to seek meaningful contribution and compensation from Thames Water for the local community. As Surrey Heath's MP, Michael has been in regular contact with Ofwat, the Water Services Regulation Authority, regarding the foul odour incident during last summer in Camberley
Commenting, Michael said:
"Ofwat, together with the Consumer Council for Water, commissioned research into how people felt about Thames Water's handling of the incident, and the report has been published today.
"As you will read, the research shows that customers did not receive an adequate explanation or apology from Thames Water. Ofwat and CCW have told Thames Water they need to put this right, and that the actions of Thames Water in the handling of this incident were not acceptable. Ofwat also stated that Thames Water’s management of the sewage treatment process in this incident was poor and the communications that were issued to residents did not meet a basic level of service customers would expect.
"Ofwat has written to Thames Water requesting that they put in place a remediation plan which includes:
- An apology to affected residents for the fact that the incident occurred and for Thames Water's poor handling of it.
- Communication to affected residents explaining the safeguards that are now in place to prevent a similar incident from happening again in the future.
- A financial community contribution.
"Thames Water today issued an apology, and I would like to thank the Councillors for St. Michael's Ward and Watchetts Ward, together with the team at Surrey Heath Borough Council, for continuing the work to find a suitable project for a financial contribution from Thames Water. I look forward to hearing more about this in the near future."
The research in the report outlines how customers were let down by Thames Water, who failed to provide adequate explanations on the issues at Camberley Sewage Works, and were not forthcoming with any apologies, with the report stating the local community was left in a "communication black hole" during the problems. Lynn Parker, Senior Director for Casework, Enforcement and Customers at Ofwat, stated that Thames Water's handling of the incident and communication with customers were "unacceptable".
Mike Keil, Chief Executive Officer at CCW, stated:
"People's anger and frustration is palpable having endured months of disruption to their daily lives, while being left with the impression Thames Water had gone into hiding.
"Much of this upset could have been avoided had the company kept residents regularly and clearly informed of what was going on instead of leaving a communication black hole."
A Thames Water spokesperson has said that the emergency sludge storage tanks on site will not be used to store sewage sludge again.
The full report from Ofwat and CCW can be accessed below.
Pictured, Michael Gove MP at Camberley Sewage Works
