OPEN letter to Susan Davy, CEO Pennon and South West Water

I write as a customer to complain about your handling of SWW over recent years.

Ofwat have given the go ahead this month (July 2024) for higher water bills to finance infrastructure improvements.

As I understand it, this is a direct result of water companies nationally amassing debt and using it to finance exorbitant salaries and bonuses for senior management, including yourself, as well as large dividend payments to mostly overseas shareholders.

The result - no money to pay for infrastructure improvements.

Now consumers’ bills are raised to finance future improvements.

You, SWW CEO, are responsible for implementation in the South West.

SWW (and the other companies) are abusing their position as monopoly holders. Taxpayers have already paid for infrastructure improvements over the years since privatisation.

Now they are being betrayed and forced to pay twice.

In my opinion, this verges on fraudulent, certainly morally, if not legally.

The Brixham cryptosporidium outbreak is still not resolved. Despite this you gave yourself a pay rise of £217K, from 543K to £860K in 2023-24 (Plymouth Herald). £860K!!!

How do you justify such an inflated pay deal?

In 2021 you received £1.7 million, including £1.2 million in  bonuses, at a time of an EPA rating of one star “poor performance”.

You also paid out a dividend of £127 million to mostly overseas shareholders in the middle of the Brixham outbreak. You are taking customers for fools!

Given also that sewage discharges have worsened significantly last year (South Hams Society reports “staggering levels”) I ask you to recognise you are delivering an unacceptably bad service to consumers, that you return some of the monies already paid to you personally and that you cancel all shareholder dividends until considerable improvement has been achieved.

Peter Scott

Address Supplied

South Brent