Water bill hikes up to 13,000 percent

Firms and organisations in Coventry and Warwickshire are set to be landed with water drainage bill increases of up to 13,000 percent, potentially affecting thousands of residents, according to an article in the Coventry Telegraph.

The Canal and River Trust has written to several firms, stating that their existing agreements are to be terminated and replaced with new ones with higher fees.

Since the effects of such a hike are currently only speculative, it is unclear at the moment how exactly Warwick students and other Coventry residents will be affected.

The hiked charges are focused on organisations rather than individual residents.

However, water audit expert Graham Mann claims that taxpayers in Coventry, a group which includes a number of Warwick students in local accommodation, are likely to be indirectly affected since one of the organisations most severely affected is Coventry City Council.

According to the Coventry Telegraph, the Council faces a bill increase from £29.04 to £3,798.50 in one site, and it is possible that a number of other council-owned sites could also meet with similar fee hikes in the near future.
News about possible increased fees has left some students worried about the effects on their budgets.

Leah Clark, an English Literature student at Warwick University and Coventry resident, commented: “I guess the Canal and River Trust have the right to increase their charges but it’s unfair that they have done it so drastically. Many people probably are not even aware of the charity or its regular rates, so it is wrong for them to demand such an increase.”

The Canal and River Trust is a charity which maintains 2,000 miles of waterways in England and Wales.

It claims that it is increasing the charges in accordance with what other companies, such as Severn Trent Water, already charge.

Stephen Hardy, representing the Trust, said: “We are reviewing rates because in many cases they have not changed for decades. It might seem like a large percentage increase, but it is a reflection of how good landowners have had it until now”.

However, on the water audit experts website H20, Graham Mann claimed that the increased rates are unfair, noting that the charges have been brought up to the level of Severn Trent Valley’s scheme rather than those of other water companies.

He questioned the size of the increase, asking, “Why Severn Trent Water’s scheme?

“Well Severn Trent Water are one of the highest charging schemes for surface water in the UK. If they wish to adopt a water company charge scheme then they should be regulated like any other water company.”

At a 2014 press conference, Richard Parry of the Canal and River Trust suggested that the charity plans to finish a new business plan this April.

Discussing the future of the charity, he stated that: “Canals have to be about local involvement, local contribution”, a sentiment reflected in Stephen Hardy’s recent comments when he claimed, “It is only right that landowners make a contribution to these costs.”

It is possible that some firms will divert their drainage to Severn Trent Valley to avoid the increased expenses, but this would likely be equally costly to carry out in the long run.