Thames Water Targets Sewage Flooding

3.42.23pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 5th Oct 2004

Thames Water has been told by the regulator OfWat that it will not be allowed to raise its prices to cover a big programme of tackling domestic sewage flooding. As a result, large numbers of properties across the country, and locally, will continue to be subject to flooding by sewage in periods of heavy rain.

There are an estimated 26 properties in the Twickenham area out of 600 in the UK.

Vincent Cable has written to the Secretary of State (Margaret Beckett) to protest at the lack of action and said: "We have a whole set of problems locally related to inadequate standards for sewage: the Mogden smells; over flows into the Thames, and domestic flooding. Some of these problems can be blamed on Thames Water because of lack of past long-term investment. But the regulator is also stopping necessary investment. I have in the past, had several very distressing cases of local sewage flooding, especially in the Hampton Hill area. The residents concerned rightly demand urgent action and now, we are told, there isn't the money because the regulator will not allow the water companies to make the improvements".