Last week I visited the waste water recycling plant at Havant, to hear from Southern Water how they are trying to make the water supply in Southern Hampshire more sustainable.
It would be fair to say there is much to criticise Southern Water for, not least their failures around water supply just before Christmas, which have reared their ugly head again this week. The durability of the network can at best be described as not good. And that is before we move onto the difficult question of storm discharges.
I am very conscious in this constituency that there are various villages where houses have been impacted by sewage flowing into their kitchens and bathrooms as a result of the sewerage system being overwhelmed in periods of heavy rain. Nobody likes over-pumping into rivers, but equally raw sewage in houses in a health hazard.
It is of course Southern Water who had a record fine, £90m, imposed upon them a few years ago. Unlike the Secretary of State I do not shy away from that level of fine, the Government has to send a clear message to these companies that unless they clean up their act there will be enormous penalties.
It is Nomads panto this weekend, which will at least provide some light relief
