Southern Water has issued a firm response following claims made in a committee meeting at Isle of Wight Council last week that tankers were discharging trade waste into its Norton Transfer Wastewater Pumping Station.
John Penicud, Southern Water’s Managing Director for Wastewater, said the allegations were “categorically false and misleading”.
Chemicals used to reduce odours
He explained that the tanker seen at the site in July was delivering chemicals to help control odours, not trade waste. He said,
“The tanker in question was delivering chemicals to site, which assist in reducing odours.
“The vehicle was displaying the correct signage for the chemicals being used. This vehicle, to be clear, was not carrying trade waste.”
Invitation to visit the site
Mr Penicud added that Southern Water has invited those who raised concerns to visit the Norton site to see how its treatment processes operate. He said,
“We have invited those who have contacted us about these claims to visit the site for a tour, where we can explain how our treatment processes work.”
Concern raised at Committee Meeting
Councillor Becca Cameron, councillor for Freshwater South raised a question about something one of her constituents had raised at last week’s Economy, Regeneration, Transport and Infrastructure (ERTIC) Committee Meeting.
She said the resident had witnessed and photographed an incident involving a tanker on 6th July 2025. The resident had spoken to the tanker’s driver who stated he was discharging sewage from a Lithuanian ship.
The water company strongly refute this suggestion,
