Stockport MP hits out at water company over repeated failings

A water company responsible for Stockport being ranked ninth worst in the country for water issues has been criticised by its MP.

Navendu Mishra said that United Utilities should “hang their head in shame” over its track record and do far better for his constituents.

Mr Mishra’s comments followed the publication of a study by ViDrate, which used data collected from the Drinking Water Inspectorate, to reveal that “unwholesome” water was being supplied to consumers. This included the Wybersley works, which is run by United Utilities, and supplies almost 300,000 people across Stockport and Cheshire.

Mr Mishra said:

“It is a disgrace that United Utilities, who last year turned a profit of almost £750m, is unable to properly invest in its infrastructure and treatment facilities to ensure that customers are able to drink a clean glass of water from their taps.

“This isn’t the first time they’ve fallen well short of the standards that are expected of them. United Utilities was fined £700,000 pounds in 2014 for dumping thousands of tonnes of untreated sewage into the River Medlock in Greater Manchester, £300,000 pounds in 2017 for allowing drinking supplies to be contaminated with a parasite after animal waste seeped into an underground tank, and a further £200,000 in 2018 for supplying ‘inadequately disinfected water’ that was not suitable to drink to thousands of households. That is utterly unacceptable and they should hang their head in shame.”

In March Mr Mishra led a parliamentary debate which criticised the consistently poor track record of private water companies.

He added:

“There is overwhelming support in this country to renationalise water companies back, with 63% in favour, while Scotland’s publicly-owned Scottish Water is the most trusted utility company in Britain. If corporations like United Utilities cannot provide clean water that is safe to drink, they should be brought back into public hands.”