Politically, this is magnificent. The Lib Dems have target seats throughout Surrey where they’re typically the main challenger, they’ve been campaigning hard locally on water quality through most of this parliament (hasn’t always got national attention but they worked out a while ago it’s a very resonant issue in their target seats) and then just in time for the election Thames Water start warning people the water isn’t drinkable…
Ok, what the hell is going on in the UK that every single water system is basically fucked?
I keep checking to see if all of these problems are an only one area, but it seems to be over multiple. How is this just now being an issue?
A long time ago, a government decided it was in the best interests of the country to sell off the water companies to private investors.
Over time, those companies were loaded up with debt to pay dividends to investors.
Lumbered with huge interest payments, and shareholders pushing for more returns, investment in the water systems were cut to the bone.
So now we’re seeing more and more failures as a result of cost cutting.Electric, water, solid waste, internet, mail, and healthcare should all be pubic goods owned by the people and run for them. This seems to be a poster child for that.
Dear me, and the conservatives want more of this privatization?!
