Water companies ‘sorry’ but will public pay for sewage leaks?

What an absolute discgrace, and shows yet again why privatisation is often a deal with the devil, for all those involved.

Didn't water bills increase after privatisation in the 80s to pay for modernization? If so, they've been paid and not delivered. Time to turn the screw and freeze prices while enforcing fines and investment from profits IMHO.

“It’s against the law “. - That was the statement.
So where are the court cases?

We’ve had global warming shovelled down our throats for decades so why are they not investing in the reservoirs, be it improving or new?

Devon went into a hosepipe ban about a month ago so all gardens there will mostly die off, now.

This is being a massive ’rug-pull’ by the water companies.
By which I mean we’ve paid for decades and all of the cash appears to have gone to the ‘investors’. None has been invested, ironically.

Despicable them.

Britain is a kleptocracy. A heist.

ITS all quite simple, according to ACTUAL government policy....."THE POLLUTER MUST PAY FOR ANY POLLUTION" ! So WHY is this very lacklustre government NOT ENFORCING THEIR OWN POLICY & LAWS ?

IF I WAS CAUGHT DUMPING RUBBISH........I WOULD BE IN COURT THE NEXT WEEK PAYING A HUGE FINE.................So, if the 'little people' ARE held responsible for pollution WHY ARE THE LARGE WATER COMPANIES NOT FACING THE SAME LAWS & FINES ? Its quite simple,,,, the MAIN shareholders ARE GOVERNMENT MINISTERS to include sunak & wife.

We should be furious about this. Where are all the patriots who get angry about migration? This is our own people ruining our country, our lands and our animals

We have to pay for their own negligence & greed to reduce sewage.. While top cats get £400,000 bonuses...all Absolutely disgusting all bonuses should go to to cause until waters are cleaner.

Water companies have been making huge profits paying themselves fat cat wages instead of investing, and now we have to bail them out to fix the problem why is no one accountable any more!

The things people flush down the shitter🤦‍♂️

They say that they need to invest £10 billion. This is because, since privatisation, the water companies have prioritised profit and shareholder dividends ahead of infrastruture and systems investment. Since privatisation, the English water companies have paid out £72 billion in shareholder dividends and yet they expect US to pay for it?

London’s water systems are maintained, meanwhile the regions can go swim in filth.

We might all feel aggrieved but the real issue is how they think they can get away with it. The fact that they have already paid themselves and their shareholders £72bn+ means they sense they can do it again. I can't wait for the bills to arrive.

This is outrageous, I'm sick of this mentality. Demand and supply!? They supply the damage and the demand money to fix it. It's all business to them, making money by polluting us and now they want to making money for cleaning it. They create the problem and come with the solution, we pay both ways. Sick of it, enough is enough. They should be punished somehow, but all I see they getting rewarded by making us pay for fix🤬

Wow Bank of England not enough...now THESE Criminals wants a few billions from us tax payers. This country is done....we are done. Its all over. This is the end of the Empire. Life her is not livable anymore.

What I can’t understand is that so many people do not understand basic capitalism. The capitalist use their money to make more money . How they achieve that goal has nothing to do with morality, ethics or love of country . If they have to spend money to bribe elected officials, that is just good business. The end goal is TO INCREASE THEIR CAPITAL ! Any system that does not have strong checks and balances, will not work . Laws needed to hold people accountable. They removed those laws to protect unscrupulous offenders. In the USA they gave corporations the same rights as individuals. Try putting a corporation in jail. They used “ Freedom of speech” to allow lies and propaganda to flourish . $$$$$$$$$$🇺🇸🙈

£10bn. Compare that to the dividends taken by shareholders £72bn 😂. The underfunding of regulators like OFWAT is an intentional political choice, as is removing legal aid and turning employment tribunals 180degress in favour of employers, all sound bitten as cutting red tape, as if their goal of unlocking growth (actually increasing dividend payments in reality) does not lead the greedy sociopaths (many listed co board members) to actual harming the UK population. They don't care and cannot be trusted, as seen in a procession of commons enquiries. It's a choice though.

No shock typical Tory policy they privatise the profit and nationalise the debt.

global warming is fake

get rid of all the illegals we woul not make such a lot of sewage

If you open your eyes the whole country is leaking it everywhere anywhere slowly 😅 gotta get your hands dirty too polish a gem right ? 😅 sort it out stop wasting away peoples ,time, money ,effort, and generations of their Hardwork and love for nature and life, got the tools and know how, sort it out jeezz.

sellout for water companies

The public seem to be due to pay more for water companies pollution. The public continuing to pay for water companies crimes against the environment. It will continue if the public pay for these terrible things that water companies have been doing. It is the rich water companies that should pay for it.

They only dumped raw sewage into the rivers 4 times last year they said actually it's 375,000 times last year 😠

The water companies should pay for the clean up not the customers pathetic water service

Everyone should get a rebate from the water companies 😍

It's the water companies fault they should pay for it out of their profits 😍

Why should I pay £65.97 a month for a crappy service 😠

Anyone think we should stop paying for all these things ? Its them laughing at us all from all angles and we just take it all lying down. They are breaking the law and we pay for them doing it. And protests are not the answer what about everyone just stop paying ? Thats an idea they are playing everyone like a fiddle

But you only dump raw sewage into the rivers 4 times a year 🙄

375,000 times last year

Ruth Kelly sounds like a man

Sorry is not good enough. Weak government, pathetic laws and corrupt water companies owned by off-shore companies who don't even live here is not acceptable.

This is outrageous. Why is the entire nation not up in arms?!

Great business opportunity for corporations like Nestlè! If the "drinking" water becomes sufficiently polluted that no one in their right mind would drink it anymore, they can swoop in and sell you bottled water for 5 pound a bottle. :-)

Of course we will be paying there funds for them, we will be paying twice, the only way is to sack the people allowing the what they call spill, an refuse to pay them there pension for not doing there job properly as not fit for purpose. Fly Tipping.

Compost toilets!

Always nice to have a fish and shit's for diner. How can you still wat that?

This is criminal

I hope it wasn't Thatcher who privatized the water companies

Sorry???? Only because you have been caught out because Joe Public have made it their mission to enlighten the public as to the extent of their filthy practices! The public owe nothing, the water board have caused the problem and they must rectify and pay for it! No way should the Tories have sold off the water industry!

Thats why you shouldnt holiday at a Uk beach,

They say we get money back next year £150 pounds .Because they have dumped dirty water into the sea .And then they say we have to pay more for are water .What a joke

Sue the b.......ds .
Take them to court and prison for the bosses..
Strip out all the fat cats and freeze all bonuses and other big payouts .
And share holders get. 0. dividend payments.
Untill all repairs are carried out and the rivers and seas are clean and safe again!!!!!!!!

Disgraceful 😢😢

This is ALL the fault of the government who REFUSED to take the bull by the horns and build proper sewer facilities, instead passing it off to private FOR PROFIT companies so they didn't look bad for raising taxes.

Do you think they did this on purpose for more funds? I can't believe the public have to pay and the norm in the UK is that big companies and politicians just apologise. Even mass protest do jack sh*t these days. UK needs to take a different stance and forcibly push those who are meant to serve the public to due their duty and stop bleeding us dry. All i see is a bleak future and all they can say is "sorry". Shamless!

Thames Water, along with all other water companies in England, was privatised in 1989 when Margaret Thatcher sold off the publicly owned water and sewage industry for £7.6bn.

Water bosses should have their personal finances impounded and a swift halt called by our new Government to their current twisted practices.