plan for collapse of Thames Water

Dialup said:
As for the politics of it, I find some irony in the idea that we've taken back control yet we're apparently so feckless as a country we trust the French, Chinese and Germans to run our infrastructure despite us having either invented or contributed in a big way to mostly all of it.

It is honestly pathetic, let's run these services properly on a long term basis. There's no reason we cannot do it.
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It just crazy to allow that unless there were brown envelopes.
Funny but the German state controls their own water while we subsidise it.

When the Paris water supply was private their bills were rising and leaks were not fixed. Suddenly, when it was taken over by the state bill eventually dropped and leaks were fixed.
 
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Mrwong said:
It just crazy to allow that unless there were brown envelopes.
Funny but the German state controls their own water while we subsidise it.

When the Paris water supply was private their bills were rising and leaks were not fixed. Suddenly, when it was taken over by the state bill eventually dropped and leaks were fixed.
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There is a failure of regulation and ownership. We could resolve a lot of the issues by having proper regulation with massive fines. But we don’t because we pretend there’s a market.

We need to accept some things work properly privatised/unregulated whilst others don’t.

British Airways, well run, very strict regulations. Very safe and actual competition. Good privatisation.

Energy suppliers - maybe.

Water. Waste of time. Trains. Not worked.

Let’s just be rational
 
Dialup said:
There is a failure of regulation and ownership. We could resolve a lot of the issues by having proper regulation with massive fines. But we don’t because we pretend there’s a market.

We need to accept some things work properly privatised/unregulated whilst others don’t.

British Airways, well run, very strict regulations. Very safe and actual competition. Good privatisation.

Energy suppliers - maybe.

Water. Waste of time. Trains. Not worked.

Let’s just be rational
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I agree, something's are but others are not.
I can choose not to fly, I have no choice but to select a company for electricity.
 
Dialup said:
British Airways, well run, very strict regulations. Very safe and actual competition. Good privatisation.

Energy suppliers - maybe.

Water. Waste of time. Trains. Not worked.

Let’s just be rational
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The problem is lazy regulation and a lack of competition, where it's not possible for competition perhaps it should just be defacto state owned as it's obvious that regional private ownership isn't working very well for the public (works well for the shareholders)
 
Mrwong said:
It just crazy to allow that unless there were brown envelopes.
Funny but the German state controls their own water while we subsidise it.

When the Paris water supply was private their bills were rising and leaks were not fixed. Suddenly, when it was taken over by the state bill eventually dropped and leaks were fixed.
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Let's face it, no matter the pros and cons, the Tories will not renationalise water (or anything else). They can't, because of dogmatically sticking to their established ideology. Private sector must always do everything better than state ownership. It's written on several stone tablets.

Starmer won't do it either, as he's hell bent on being the Tory leader the Tories don't want. In fact, New Tory Labour have said they won't renationalise anything.

e: In fact, all parties except the Greens have stated they will not renationalise water (or anything else). Many of those statements made very recently.

Although it's a popular idea among the electorate, with some articles suggesting 70% popular support, no party wants to touch this. It just isn't happening.

And if it isn't happening after decades of pollution and wracking up billions of debt to pay dividends... well, it isn't happening, ever. The UK loves to work against its own best interest, politicians included.
 
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FoxEye said:
Let's face it, no matter the pros and cons, the Tories will not renationalise water (or anything else). They can't, because of dogmatically sticking to their established ideology. Private sector must always do everything better than state ownership. It's written on several stone tablets.

Starmer won't do it either, as he's hell bent on being the Tory leader the Tories don't want. In fact, New Tory Labour have said they won't renationalise anything.

e: In fact, all parties except the Greens have stated they will not renationalise water (or anything else). Many of those statements made very recently.

Although it's a popular idea among the electorate, with some articles suggesting 70% popular support, no party wants to touch this. It just isn't happening.

And if it isn't happening after decades of pollution and wracking up billions of debt to pay dividends... well, it isn't happening, ever. The UK loves to work against its own best interest, politicians included.
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Funny isn't it, they push out measures to tackle pollution if it involves punishing the public, yet sewage waste goes unchecked.
Really says a lot about this country.
 
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BBC News - Big Thames Water investor backs turnaround plans
www.bbc.co.uk

Big Thames Water investor backs turnaround plans

One of the UK's largest pension funds is the first investor to come out and support Thames Water.
www.bbc.co.uk

Something about this stinks like a sewer.

Dying pension fund shoring up a massively indebted utilities company, either throwing someone else's money after bad money or a great way to bankrupt and kill off a mismanaged find.

They've implemented a steady stream of cuts over the last decade, and courted their fair share of controversy.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universities_Superannuation_Scheme

I wonder who stands to gain from this high risk venture? I bet it's not the pension holders...
 
adam cool dude said:

South East Water spent more on dividends and debt than infrastructure | Water industry | The Guardian

Company criticised after 6,000 households were left without running water last month
amp.theguardian.com amp.theguardian.com

Seems they are all at it. Spent more on servicing debt and dividends over a two year period than they did on infrastructure.

What a joke of a world we really live in now.
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That link is broken unless you replace amp with www btw.

But yes, nothing surprises me anymore. regulator utterly useless but what exactly will be done here? Weak government claims the regulator is independent and responsible for the oversight, or lack thereof.
 
I wish an entity like the Good Law Project would take the entire industry to court. There is zero chance the regulator, this government or seemingly if Labour get in that anything will ever change.
 
Dialup said:
There is a failure of regulation and ownership. We could resolve a lot of the issues by having proper regulation with massive fines. But we don’t because we pretend there’s a market.

We need to accept some things work properly privatised/unregulated whilst others don’t.

British Airways, well run, very strict regulations. Very safe and actual competition. Good privatisation.

Energy suppliers - maybe.

Water. Waste of time. Trains. Not worked.

Let’s just be rational
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Bro, you literally voted Tory in 2017 when this was being offered by the other party.
 
more s*** looks like the Sunderland beaches gave ecoli to last weeks triathletes

Birtwhistle: Sunderland Swim Should Have Been Cancelled – TriStats

tri-stats.com tri-stats.com
On 26th July, three days before the racing, the E.coli levels stood at 3900 (colonies/100ml). Although there had no been indication of such high levels in the weeks leading up to the event, the reading should have given the organisers pause for thought.

World Triathlon has an E.coli limit of 250 in place. Should levels exceed that threshold, the swim should be cancelled in the interests of athlete welfare. As per the race briefing, World Triathlon took three measurements around the swim course in the lead-up to the race. At the first two locations, the readings came out at 31 and 72. However, at the third location, the reading came out at 220.
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I'm now intrigued what kind of detailed measures you can regularly get from your favourite(nearest) beach Sherringham - even though summers awol
jpaul said:
can check out you local beach cleanliness before jumping in - thanks Ed

www.libdems.org.uk

Sewage dumped on Blue Flag beaches 1,500 times last year

New analysis of the latest Environment Agency data by the Liberal Democrats has revealed that water companies in England have dumped sewage onto England’s Blue Flag beaches 1,504 times last year, lasting an astonishing 8,497 hours last year.
www.libdems.org.uk www.libdems.org.uk
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Quartz said:
Allow me to be cynical and suggest that a knighthood or two may be involved.
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Is it cynicism these days, or just reality?

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I noted TW are in the news locally for failing to act over sewage smells. Local residents complaining etc. Can only assume it's because they're in the news that the story has got traction because that area has stunk for the last 25 years.

www.bbc.co.uk

Thames Water criticised as 'foul odour' plagues residents

Residents first complained about the "foul odour" in June, Surrey Heath Borough Council says.
www.bbc.co.uk
 
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