OnTheWight always welcomes a Letter to the Editor to share with our readers – unsurprisingly they don’t always reflect the views of this publication. If you have something you’d like to share, get in touch and of course, your considered comments are welcome below.
This from Hans Bromwich, Cowes. Ed
Thames Water have told the Water Regulator that they need to hike water prices up by 60%, arguing they have provided cheap water for far too long.
But here’s the truth, they’ve spent years and years paying huge dividends to investors along with massive salaries to bosses, whilst simultaneously run up huge debt and under investing in infrastructure.
Rising profits
Last year Thames Water profits rose by 21% whilst its debt of £15.2bn increased by £1.3bn on the previous year.
A staggering 28% of revenue simply goes on paying interest on the debt. 630million litres a day, yes a day, is lost with leaks.
A serious risk to public health
However, it get worse, the River Thames has been polluted by over 72billion litres of untreated sewage since 2020.
This whole nonsense is unsustainable, quite apart from untreated sewage being a serious risk to public health.
Clean water is fundamental to life
Here’s the thing, clean water is fundamental to life, access to clean water is a human right, any half decent government ought to be providing clean water to its population free of charge.
It shouldn’t be a commodity to exploit and profit from. I mean, whatever next? Will we soon be charged for the air we breathe?
Let’s see some change
A few months ago the UK voted resoundingly for change. So let’s see some change. Water Utility Companies are clearly not fit for purpose, they need to be taken back into public ownership.
If Keir Starmer can’t understand that and wants to roll back on change, perhaps the Labour and its leadership needs to resort to that favourite computer hack.
Switch itself off, and the switch itself on again.
