Cryptosporidium - is anyone having to boil their water?

Whitewavemark2

fancythat

Can we say for 100% that it wouldnt have happened under public ownership?

No I don’t think that we could.

But the income would be used to repair, upgrade the infrastructure and not to line foreign owners pockets.

fancythat

Can we say for 100% that it wouldnt have happened under public ownership?

No I don’t think that we could.

Last week R4's programme, The Briefing Room, looked at the water industry, in particular Thames Water.

If you want to know the full horror of how the owners of water companies have stripped £billions in dividends out of these companies and not invested a penny. I recommend a listen.
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001yxl5

Can we say for 100% that it wouldnt have happened under public ownership?

Labour’s plan to stop sewage polluting our rivers and seas
Labour will put the water companies under special measures to clean up our waters.

Under Labour’s tough plans, Ofwat could have blocked six out of nine water bosses’ bonuses last year because of severe levels of illegal pollution.

Labour has pledged to put failing water companies under tough special measures to force them to clean up their toxic mess and protect people’s health.

This includes:

Giving the water regulator powers to block the payment of any bonuses until water bosses have cleaned up their filth. We don’t need the dither and delay of a consultation; we need immediate action.
Water bosses who oversee repeated law-breaking will face criminal charges.
Ending self-monitoring and forcing all companies to monitor every single water outlet under independent supervision so companies can no longer cover up illegal sewage dumping.
Introducing severe and automatic fines that water companies can’t afford to ignore for illegal sewage discharges.

I would also like to see a nod towards nationalisation as well. I appreciate the complexity and cost. I would also like to see the EA given much more power.

I agree that it's appalling. South West water, in particular, are disgraceful.
Does Labour, if elected, have any plans for water companies?

The problem has arisen because the water treatment was insufficient.

The real problem is that the ownership is largely foreign, who have little interest in anything other than profit. And to litigate against these disasters is almost impossible.

I think the biggest issue is that there is no control on how the owners spend their profit. So they can mend the infrastructure or they can pay themselves income.

Doesn’t take much imagination to understand what is the most likely thing to happen to the profit does it?

We don’t yet know how the problem has arisen.

I think the British public are appalled. I certainly am and yet I don’t live in that area. I’m shocked that this has happened in Britain in this day and age and that it has been allowed to happen. I’m sure the people in this area are extremely angry too. I’ve just heard that last year the share holders of South West Water were paid millions in dividends whilst at the same time, according to The Guardian, that the company was pumping raw sewage into the sea and rivers.

It’s truly unbelievable!

Animals can also be infected, so boil your pet’s water.

Water is the most basic for human life. Why on earth did we allow profit to be attached to basic necessity?

Cryptosporidium is a horrible thing to have. My daughter was very very ill with it after catching it while we were on holiday in the Lake District when she was five - she was hospitalised for several days because she was so ill. If in any doubt at all, I would definitely boil your water.

We seem to be safe here in Durham...

It's startling how easily Brixham's drinking water seems to have been infected. What happened to their quality control?