With reference to Southern Water’s (SW) broken water system.

We have been complaining for 20 years in the hope of SW resolving the odours, noxious gas emissions; noise and other omissions.

Regarding the noxious gas emissions, with the help of Michael Meacher, the then Minister for the Environment, SW were forced to install a scrubber as the gas emissions were against environmental laws. We have been in contact with all the agencies, councillors, Consumer Council for Water, OFWAT, Public Health England, The Minister for Health, Bob Seely MP; and of course, we have been through SW’s complaints procedure on two occasions.

On two occasions SW said it would not talk to us anymore!

The IW Council environmental health department’s response was that: “it was our own fault for living near a sewage works”.

When we purchased our house, the sewage works at Sandown did not show up on our searches.

It was then shown that it was built with retrospective planning permission.

SW also moled the sewer from Sandown to Ventnor in the far bank of the Eastern Yar and the Morton Common flood plain; again retrospective permission was given, causing major disruption to the owners of properties on the nearside bank; also the flora and fauna were impacted.

We started our last campaign with SW on September 6, 2020.

After fruitless correspondence, SW suggested we go back to square one of their complaints procedure; plus environmental health, and the Consumer Council for Water etc.

We wrote to ask Southern Water if Sandown was the only treatment works on the Island; they replied saying there were 20 others.

We asked where they were, as we are aware of pumping stations at Ventnor, Shanklin and Ryde.

Southern Water replied that they could not tell us of other locations, citing “national security".

We believe this company is not fit for purpose and, in our opinion, should have its licence to operate withdrawn.