SOUTH WEST WATER GETTING AWAY WITH DAY LIGHT ROBBERY

11.50.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 28th Jul 2009

'Constituents have been regularly raising with me the problem of SWW overcharging for surface drainage that is not connected to SWW drains. While on the whole SWW are happy to reassign the tariff once drainage has been clarified, they are not however refunding overcharges.

'For some people this represents a considerable financial loss. For example I have be contacted by constituents who have been overcharged for services not received for several decades and yet SWW has no legal obligation to refund the money, a situation upheld by OFWAT.

'This is quite scandalous; under normal consumer rights you would expect some form of refund/credit for an overcharge. Clearly across the South West this is potentially a major problem and yet SWW has been allowed to get away with daylight robbery; nor is helped by the fact that SWW have the monopoly for the region.

'For anyone who thinks their surface water drainage is not plumbed into SWW's sewers I would urge them to contact SWW as soon as possible on 0800 169 1133 and my office on 01271 328631 - so that I am kept updated on the extent of the problem in North Devon.'

For guidance on this issue see:

http://www.southwestwater.co.uk/index.cfm?articleid=1373

and

http://www.southwestwater.co.uk/media/pdf/6/3/Charging_for_waste_water_disposal.pdf