water meter removal

withabix

Cardew wrote: »

That is exactly the point I was making; and just to be even handed on the political stakes it was the Conservative idiots who sold off 'our' water industry('selling off the family silver')

Much as I am against privatiation of essential industries, at least ofwat(unlike ofgem/ofcom) has a good record of controlling the Water companies - setting targets, and ensuring that they are kept to, or fining them.

...and it is only because of the privatisation that there is any investment.

The family silver? You ought to have a look at the condition of some of those antiques in the years before privatisation...:rolleyes:

Have a look at those 'asset's in Scotland - the water industry is still public there and did it show!!! Investment is now being made thankfully. Some treatment works were so derelict that the sewage just flowed in one end and out the other in much the same state.

This investment is again only being done using private sector investment.

Maintenance and investment in public hands...errr nope.

Seeing the water industry from the inside shows you the benefits of being privatised.

Cardew

withabix wrote: »

...and it is only because of the privatisation that there is any investment.

The family silver? You ought to have a look at the condition of some of those antiques in the years before privatisation...:rolleyes:

Have a look at those 'asset's in Scotland - the water industry is still public there and did it show!!! Investment is now being made thankfully. Some treatment works were so derelict that the sewage just flowed in one end and out the other in much the same state.

This investment is again only being done using private sector investment.

Maintenance and investment in public hands...errr nope.

Seeing the water industry from the inside shows you the benefits of being privatised.

I totally agree with you that the infrastructure was neglected for decades and massive investment was needed.

The investment has been from the charges levied on the consumer, that could, and IMO should, have come from the Government who would in turn raise that in charges and taxes. Investment does not have to come from the private sector.

However, that really isn't the point of this thread, we are both in agreement that after years of neglect it was inevitable that huge sums would need to be raised to put things right.

P.S. 'Selling off the family siver' was a phrase coined by Harold Macmillan.

withabix

Cardew wrote: »

The investment has been from the charges levied on the consumer, that could, and IMO should, have come from the Government who would in turn raise that in charges and taxes. Investment does not have to come from the private sector.

Unfortunately, when the public sector does it, it invariably costs more for less. Ref: anything that the civil service tries to manage.

Cardew

withabix wrote: »

Unfortunately, when the public sector does it, it invariably costs more for less. Ref: anything that the civil service tries to manage.

Well we are now in complete agreement on everthing.

sun01

Agree with all that every house in the UK should have a water meter, but re the leaks - the fatcat bosses should cut their ridiculous bonuses and use some of the company profits to contribute towards this. If they had been doing this over the past decades the pipes wouldn't be leaking so terribly. It's not as if Thames Water et al are only just breaking even every year! Yes they are a business, and the point of a business is to make a profit, but when it comes to a water company I think they should have a duty to put the profits back into maintaining and upgrading infrastructure where necessary. (And hence I would prefer such services not to be privatised as this is less likely to happen with a public company.)
So I reserve the right to say that they are passing the costs onto the consumer!

davetrousers

sun01 wrote: »

Agree with all that every house in the UK should have a water meter, but re the leaks - the fatcat bosses should cut their ridiculous bonuses and use some of the company profits to contribute towards this. If they had been doing this over the past decades the pipes wouldn't be leaking so terribly. It's not as if Thames Water et al are only just breaking even every year! Yes they are a business, and the point of a business is to make a profit, but when it comes to a water company I think they should have a duty to put the profits back into maintaining and upgrading infrastructure where necessary. (And hence I would prefer such services not to be privatised as this is less likely to happen with a public company.)
So I reserve the right to say that they are passing the costs onto the consumer!

You trawled up an old thread for a rant!

Water companies do work on repairing and replacing mains.

They have already been privatised I'm afraid.