Water companies have been marking their own homework for too long

Over the past few months, I’ve heard from hundreds of residents in Birches Head and Sneyd Green who are rightly angry about the nightmare disruption caused by Severn Trent Water’s ongoing roadworks.

Narrow terraced streets gridlocked, cars trapped, parents worrying about children’s safety near the school gates, people unable to get home at the end of a long day.

That is why I demanded an urgent review of the works, and set out clear, practical steps Severn Trent must take immediately, from changes in traffic management to pausing further side-road closures until major routes are properly reopened.

My frustration only deepened following Severn Trent’s decision to cancel two planned community drop-in sessions at just 24 hours’ notice, sessions I intended to attend alongside residents.

At a time when people are desperate for answers and reassurance, withdrawing from public engagement is another example of the poor service levels that make strong intervention not just justified, but necessary.

But these problems didn’t come out of nowhere. They are the result of a water system that, for too long, has let companies operate without proper scrutiny, planning or accountability. What residents are experiencing on our streets is the everyday impact of that failure.

For years, water companies have been allowed to mark their own homework. Pipes have been left to crumble. Maintenance has been reactive rather than planned. Communities are left dealing with sudden closures, emergency works and chaos that could, and should, have been avoided.

That is exactly why Labour is committed to delivering the biggest overhaul of the water industry in a generation.

Last week, the Government set out a new White Paper with a simple promise: clean water, clear expectations, and no more excuses.

For the first time in two decades, a chief engineer will sit inside the single water regulator, bringing real technical expertise back into the system.

That means hands-on checks of infrastructure, not box-ticking exercises, and an end to companies being trusted to regulate themselves.

Crucially, a new “MOT” System for water infrastructure will require regular health checks on pipes, pumps and networks. Problems will be spotted early, before roads are dug up at short notice and communities are thrown into disruption. Prevention, not firefighting.

When companies fall short, the regulator will have the power to step in fast through a new Performance Improvement Regime.

No more years of poor service while customers are told to wait. Failures will be fixed quickly, protecting residents, the environment and long-term investment.

This matters here in Stoke-on-Trent.

Better planning and proactive maintenance mean fewer emergency road closures, less congestion, and safer streets, especially around schools and residential areas. It means co-ordination, not chaos.

The reforms also put households first. A wider rollout of smart water meters and mandatory efficiency labels on appliances like dishwashers and washing machines will help families track usage and cut waste, saving over £125 million on water and energy bills over the next decade.

At a time when every pound counts, that is real help with the cost of living.

There’s more. A new Water Ombudsman with legally binding powers will finally give customers somewhere to turn when things go wrong. Complaints will no longer be shrugged off. Companies will be required to respond quickly and compensate fairly.

And this builds on action already taken, from banning unfair bonuses to introducing criminal liability for bosses who cover up illegal sewage spills.

Accountability will no longer be optional.

So when I challenge Severn Trent over traffic disruption in Birches Head and Sneyd Green, I’m not just dealing with a single set of roadworks.

I’m standing up for a different way of running our water system, one that plans ahead, respects communities, and delivers the service people pay for. 

Residents deserve clean water, safe streets and straight answers. Labour’s reforms are about delivering exactly that, and I will keep pushing, locally and nationally, until they do.