"Thank goodness for Ofwat" - Mike Tuffrey welcomes Ofwat decision on Thames water price

11.39.00am GMT Thu 26th Nov 2009

Mike Tuffrey, the leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group, commenting on Ofwat's final determination for water prices from 2010 to 2015 said:

"Ofwat have thankfully not agreed to Thames Water's plans to hike up water bills by more 17% over the next five years.

"Serious investment is of course necessary to replace our crumbling Victorian pipes and tunnels. Above all else we need end the scandalous situation of pumping untreated sewage into the Thames, which this month alone has already exceeded more than 9 million cubic metres. However it is absolutely right that today's customers should not take the total hit for literally decades of underinvestment. With high profits and falling construction costs Thames Water should be able to maintain its investment within the price rises set by Ofwat."

ENDS

Notes to Editors

According to the Environment Agency the volume of untreated sewage that flowed into the Thames in just the first 24 days of November was 9.2 million cubic metres. This is the volume of 93 Albert Halls or 2479 Olympic Swimming Pools