Severn Trent Water - Compensation?

Matspart3

I'm one of the 350 000 STW customers who've been without water for a week. I gather we're entitled to compnesation/rebate? Can't find anything on theirs, or the OFWAT websites to show me how to go about claiming it. Any ideas? I'm keen to make a hole in their £300m profits!!

Cardew

Welcome to the forum.

Being slightly facetious I thought I read there was lots of water, just none coming out of taps!!!

Seriously though you won't make a hole in their profits, all the huge cost of the unfortunate consequences of the flooding, and any compensation paid out, will eventually be paid for by all consumers in increased charges.

Any compensation entitlement will be doubtless be announced in the local press.

As a matter of interest do you feel that ST have been at fault in this saga? Should they have moved the water treatment plant to another site(at huge cost) in anticipation of floods of this magnitute?

Matspart3

"Water, water everywhere but not a drop to drink" to quote Coleridge!!

Its a sad fact of privatisation that we, the consumers, will ultimately foot the bill. STW cannot be held responsible for the unprecedented and unseasonal amount of rain that (excuse the pun) precipitated this disaster, but an extra £300m ploughed into better flood defences may have helped. Let's face it, a water treatment works needs to be by a river so you'd think they'd do their best to protect it as a fundamental part of their infrastructure.

In the short term though, I'd like a few quid back!!!

RabbitMad

Its been announced that we won't get sh*t because this was exceptional.

Under the GSS http://www.ofwat.gov.uk/aptrix/ofwat/publish.nsf/content/guaranteedstandardsscheme
we would have been entitled to about £150 in compensation.

Having read this I think that one could easily argue that this loss of supply could have been avoided because:
a. the level of flooding was not significantly different from the level of the 1947 flood.
b. The mythe works flooded in 1990 holding up building work
c. Severn trent have admitted they new the plant was likely to flood yet did nothing to install flood defences
d. Severn trent had no contingency plan in place should this plant be opperational for any lenght of time (e.g. fire, explosion, flood...)

Also Severn trent spokesman said that compensation would be payable early in the crisis - he has since back tracked.

OFWAT have backed severn trents stance but would a small claims court?

People what are your thoughts?

sparky345

I think it is disgusting that we will not get any compensation for the loss of water. Of course it was a freak occurnace the amount of rain that we had, however there was severve weather warnings which other agencies acted upon, not only that but there should be defences in place to guarantee that the plant was protected for floods. They know that it supplies the water to so many, and that there is not an alternative, I would have thought it was common sense to have a wall/defence in place when it was built! And I too have heard reports that it was flooded when it was built so that should have told them something!

We do not have any choice in who supplies us water, we cant swap like we can electric or gas so are over a barrel. They have sent a letter saying that they are giving up to 3.5m to local communities, in my view that is like emontional blackmail, you compain that you dont get compenstaion and know doubt will be made to look selfish. They should be helping the local communities as a matter or course, AND compensating us all too.

Driving to families to have showers, buying water at the beginning, driving to collect water, driving to recycle the bottles (as no-ones seems to give a damn about collecting them, ST or the local recycling collection).

Our taxes will go up, water rates will go up, all under the pretence that we have to pay for all of this. Just another case of rip off Britain. One thing for sue is that ST profits wont be diminished, nor the shareholders dividends. It should be a basic right to expect clean drinking water in one of the most advanced countries in the world, and is laughable that the water plant is built on flood plains (think I am right), has no adequate protection.

All in all it is pathetic.

RabbitMad

Well I've got my water bill through and they haven't even reduced the standing charge. I can't decide whether to sit on it and let them take me to court or pay it.