Resources & Info
Here is a template letter sent by a boycotter as well as some useful sites and sources of information
Sample letter to your water provider
To whom it may concern,
After careful consideration, I have decided I can no longer pay for the wastewater treatment part of my water bill. Therefore, I have today paid the amount of £*** for the incoming water services, and I am withholding the amount of £*** for the treatment of wastewater as I question the accuracy of this amount in consideration of recent reports about your actions.
Recent media coverage confirms that your company is still behaving recklessly and ruinously to our environment by persistently releasing untreated sewage into our waterways.
I write now with a formal complaint and to clarify why this amount is being charged to my bill if treatment of the wastewater is not taking place. It would seem to be a wholly inaccurate charge. I would note that while my complaint about the accuracy of my bill is outstanding, you should not pursue me for payment, according to OFWAT'S Paying Fair guidelines. Please put my account on hold while my complaint is outstanding.
My complaint concerns your company's grievous dereliction of duty, and of your legal and moral responsibility not to pollute our precious rivers and oceans. Enabling you to continue this seems now to me to be also an ethical question: I cannot continue paying for a service which is simply not being provided - that is, the responsible disposal of the wastewater from my property. Furthermore, my paying this section of my water bill supports the harmful and repeated practice of sewage dumping.
In a preliminary investigation, the Environment Agency recorded “widespread and serious non-compliance with regulations” and launched a two-year criminal investigation. Last July the head of the agency suggested repeat offenders should face jail.
In Money Down the Drain, Raw Sewage on the Beach published by Fideres last November, Chris Pine wrote: “We estimate that households purchasing UK wastewater services may have incurred damages since 2016 of approximately £163 million as a result of the water companies potentially abusing their dominant position.
“We also estimate that the same companies may have charged households more than £1.1 billion for sewage removal services, when in fact they have not safely removed that sewage, instead they may have simply discharged it into the country’s rivers and onto its beaches.”
Please note that I intend to take this complaint to the Consumer Council of Water (CCW) if your response to my complaint is unsatisfactory.
Yours sincerely,
YOUR NAME, CUSTOMER NUMBER AND ADDRES
Relevant Organisations
Consumer Council of Water (CCW) -the first port of call after contacting your water company.
The Environment Agency - If you are not satisfied with the response from the CCW.
OFWAT - if you are not satisfied with any of the above you can contact the water regulator.
Dispute Resolution Ombudsman - newly appointed ombudsman for water customers. However, this service can only be accessed through the CCW.
Helpful sources of information
Surfers Against Sewage are a great source of information, providing current sewage pollution alerts, facts and figures as well as forms to submit a sickness report.
The Rivers Trust works to keep our rivers healthy and clean. Their live raw sewage map gives real time information about sewage spills.
Money Down the Drain, Raw Sewage on the Beach Report by Chris Pine of Fideres. This November 2022 report details how the 11 water companies in England and Wales may be exploiting their positions as regulated monopolies to provide an 'excessively low quality of service.'
Whitstable Views is an online magazine reporting from the Kent coastal town and has a wealth of information and news reports on boycotters of Southern Water.
Hastings Boycotts Southern Water gives details of the East Sussex boycott.
News Reports
11 billion litres of raw sewage released last year.
Exclusive research in The Guardian
BBC breakdown on all the releases by water companies last year across England and Wales.
Every River in this Country is Polluted
Interview with clean water campaigner Feargal Sharkey