Thames Water apologises over 'failure' in emails with RBWM and waterways group

Thames Water has apologised after an RBWM councillor hit out at the company over its ‘failure’ to respond to repeated emails sent over three months.

Lib Dem councillor Gurch Singh blasted the company at an Overview and Scrutiny Panel meeting on Monday, claiming a lack of communication since a meeting with bosses.

Three Thames Water Executives were questioned on the company’s performance and how it could better engage with councillors and residents at a council meeting in October.

But at Monday’s meeting, Cllr Singh said: “Since October - three months - they’ve failed to communicate with us; with the committee.

“I specifically asked that we have councillor involvement in communications.

“I’ve had zero communication and I’ve asked repeatedly over several emails – [council] officers have been copied in, officers and the [panel] chair have been copied in.”

In response to a request for comment from the Advertiser, a Thames Water spokesperson said it was ‘sorry for any delayed communications’.

The scrutiny panel’s meeting in October had requested Thames Water’s chief executive officer Chris Weston attend, but the company sent three other executives.

These were: head of clean water operations Sean Waldon; stakeholder engagement manager Nikki Hines; and Home Counties stakeholder manager David Harding.

They faced quesions including from resident Jo Smith, Labour’s candidate for Maidenhead in the 2024 general election, who called on the company to offer texts advising when sewage was being discharged into rivers.

Cllr Singh asked Thames Water to consider adding an RBWM councillor to its Customer Challenge Group - to improve communication with the company.

He also raised questions over a ‘dangerous’ water pipe over York Stream in Maidenhead, that Maidenhead Waterways Group have requested be removed.

At Monday’s meeting though, Cllr Singh said ‘no communication [from Thames Water] has been sent to me or the waterway community’.

When approached for comment, a Thames Water spokesperson said the company was working to get a response to the council and waterways group.

The spokesperson said: “We endeavour to respond to all enquiries in a timely manner and are sorry for any delayed communications to the council and the Maidenhead Waterways Group on this occasion.”