Our Man in Westminster – MP Sojan Joseph pushes for improvement to update infrastructure of our waterways – KentOnline

I recently held a community meeting with residents who had been affected by the smell from Southern Water’s wastewater treatment plant in the Kennington area of my constituency and representatives from Southern Water. I also heard concerns from constituents from Ottinge and Elham at a community coffee morning in Lyminge who had been affected by flooding caused by work being carried out by Southern Water in Ottinge.

It was very insightful to hear the issues faced by residents first-hand and I am grateful to them for sharing with me. However, the problems they are facing highlight the effects of years of deregulation and underinvestment which have almost destroyed the infrastructure of our waterways, both here in Kent and across the country. I am pleased Labour acted swiftly soon after entering government to take steps to address this issue in the Water (Special Measures) Act by requiring water companies to publish sewage discharge data within one hour of such discharges beginning, and to increase customer compensation where they have been failed by water companies.

The response to the report by the Independent Water Commission, set out through generational reforms in a white paper entitled ‘A New Vision for Water’, is also very welcome and will take steps to address the issues faced by residents affected by the smell emitted by the treatment plant. These include a new single water regulator to remove the confusion, duplication and gaps in the current system, and a new ‘MOT approach’ to water company infrastructure, ensuring maintenance checks on infrastructure and treatment works, as well as a performance improvement regime for water companies allowing the regulator to step in faster.

I also frequently get contacted by frustrated constituents who have seen their water bills rising but standards not increasing alongside them. The Water Act sets out further measures to address these legitimate grievances – such as stopping CEOs of failing water companies from receiving bonuses and ensuring those who have been found to have broken the law could face jail sentences, as well as ring-fencing money for crucial investment in infrastructure rather than allowing it to be diverted into company profits.

Fixing our waterways won’t be a quick fix and we should not pretend otherwise. Agencies, regulators and quangos have been too slow and have favoured reactive rather than proactive steps. The measures taken so far by the Government have been positive; however, we realise that they will take time to take effect. This is why I do not believe that the easy answers to difficult questions put forward by the Greens or other populists on the far left will solve the issues faced by many of my constituents.

I completely understand the frustration felt by my constituents regarding the state of our water – standards have been unacceptable for too long. I plan to host more engagement events in the future to continue the dialogue with residents. I will also continue to press the Environment Agency for updates and engage with Ministers from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whenever the opportunity arises to ensure that these issues are resolved.

You can read the original article in KentOnline: MP Sojan Joseph pushes for improvement to update infrastructure of our waterways