Thames Water loses nearly a third of its water through leaks, and yet we are now being told that a hosepipe ban is to be introduced. A radical suggestion, guys. Fix your leaks, then there'd be more water. Not rocket science, is it? 915 million litres a day go down the drain every day. So before the water companies exhort us to jump into a bath together, they might try to explain to us why Thames allows 915 million litres of water a day to go down the drain. And before anyone starts blaming privatisation, the amount of investment which has been pumped into the water industry since it went private has been astounding. In fact, that was the whole reason for the privatisation, because it was recognised that the level of investment necessary could never have been provided by the taxpayer.
Monday, March 13, 2006
Fancy a Bath With Me?
Thames Water loses nearly a third of its water through leaks, and yet we are now being told that a hosepipe ban is to be introduced. A radical suggestion, guys. Fix your leaks, then there'd be more water. Not rocket science, is it? 915 million litres a day go down the drain every day. So before the water companies exhort us to jump into a bath together, they might try to explain to us why Thames allows 915 million litres of water a day to go down the drain. And before anyone starts blaming privatisation, the amount of investment which has been pumped into the water industry since it went private has been astounding. In fact, that was the whole reason for the privatisation, because it was recognised that the level of investment necessary could never have been provided by the taxpayer.
So if I understand, the gist of your piece is suggesting that this problem should have been solved, because privatisation allowed huge amounts of money to be thrown at the problem, and that because privatisation has allowed this, then it can't be to blame for the problem?
ReplyDeleteNo!
ReplyDeletePerhaps if the utilities had been sold for what they were worth instead as part of the great vote Tory boot sale - get a few middle class and better off working class voters to think they are doing well because they make a few hundred quid while the City rakes it in - there would have been more money to spend elsewhere too.
ReplyDeleteI think the conclusion we are to draw from what Iain says is that privatisation is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for the effective resolution of the problem.
ReplyDelete