We call on the Isle of Wight Council to formally declare that it has no confidence in Southern Water. 

Residents have had enough of repeated sewage pollution, poor accountability, environmental damage and excuses. This is not just a service failure. It is a public trust failure.

Southern Water is a monopoly provider responsible for wastewater services that affect our homes, rivers, beaches, coastline, wildlife and local economy. When that provider repeatedly fails to meet the standards residents deserve, local councils should not stay silent.

Other communities are already taking a stronger stance. In Cornwall, the Dowr Glan campaign has called for councils to declare no confidence in South West Water and to petition Government for urgent reform of the water system. The Isle of Wight should be prepared to take an equally firm position on Southern Water.

A vote of no confidence would not fix the problem overnight, but it would send a clear message: the Island does not accept continued failure from a private monopoly responsible for such essential public and environmental services.

We ask the Isle of Wight Council to:

1. Formally declare that it has no confidence in Southern Water.
2. Support a petition to Government, Ofwat and the Environment Agency calling for serious intervention.
3. Call for stronger enforcement, greater transparency and meaningful consequences for continued failure.
4. Support consideration of the removal of Southern Water’s licence if it cannot meet acceptable standards.
5. Stand with residents, campaigners and other communities demanding clean water, proper accountability and a system that puts people and the environment before profit.
   
   The Isle of Wight should not be passive while sewage pollution and poor accountability continue. Our rivers, marshes, beaches and coastline deserve better.