Why Are Britain’s Rivers And Coasts In Such A Poor Condition?

[sp1814]

https://amp.theguardian.com/environment/2023/aug/12/an-utter-disgrace-90-of-englands-most-precious-river-habitats-blighted-by-raw-sewage-and-farming-pollution

https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/uk-beaches-raw-sewage-warning-b2301186.html

…and what can the water companies do about it?

[ToraToraTora]

The water companies' priorities are making money for shareholders, they should never have been privatised. The neglect of the infrastructure was/is inevitable.

[ynnafymmi]

@14.13.Up here in Scotland the water company(Scottish Water)is publicly owned.We have the same problems with them that you have with your privately owned water companies down in England.

[Hymie]

I wonder if TTT is going to tell us which political party privatised the water companies?

[ToraToraTora]

I have never said I agree with every Tory policy, even TGL did things I did not agree with. Some things were correct to privatise some where not.

[Gromit]

Some privatisations are acceptable if they introduce competition into the market, and give the public more choice.
That clearly was not the intent or result of the Water privatisation. It has been a disaster for everyone, except the shareholders.

[webbo3]

This is an interesting read
https://twitter.com/LoftusSteve/status/1659637753158545414?s=20

[sp1814]

Gromit

Yup...the problem with the privatisation of the water companies in England is that there is no element of competition. You have an infrastructure controlled by the same company that delivers the service. Thames Water (for example) will never have a competitor and therefore has no driver to improve.

[Old_Geezer]

I expect they are in poor condition because authorities let polluters spoil rivers & coastline, and use the excuse that it's continually necessary because they've not invested enough to ensure they're never overwhelmed. Blame the authorities.

[William51]

I imagine it may come down to cost. If the water companies had a limitless amount of money they would keep the waters pristine, but with tight budgets they are only papering over the problem.

[jno]

budgets aren't so very tight

/// Britain’s privatised water and sewage companies paid £1.4bn in dividends in 2022, up from £540mn the previous year, despite rising household bills and a wave of public criticism over sewage outflows///

That from the FT
https://archive.ph/ksCzY

[youngmafbog]

I'm with TTT, pretty sure we have said all this a few times.

The problem with privatising things like water is they are a very basic necessity. Taking out profits from something like that will inevitably cause grief at some point. Of course the Government of the day and those following could have tightened up and forced them to do it.

[jno]

it's not just that it's a basic necessity, the problem is also that it's pointless opening it up to competition via privatisation because how are companies supposed to compete for water? Dig more reservoirs than one another? Only seek franchises in rainier areas?

It's also a dreadful failure of regulation. But there's a lot of that about, in many industries: regulators seem to do all they can to avoid doing anything at all.