NATIONAL STRIKE AGAINST WATER CHARGES

If there is any statement or action  that more  justifies the description “disgusting” or, indeed, the feeling of being  “disgusted” it is the positively sickening apology today  from WATER UK to the Brutish public for the filth of untreated sewage British water companies have been pouring for literally decades into our rivers, lakes, ponds, and the sea

However even such words of opprobrium as these are hopelessly insufficient to truly spell out the public rage at such appalling degradation of our environment and dangers to our health

This utterly ineffectual  apology for the colossal damage done to our natural resources and wildlife has come from WATER UK Chair the Rt Hon Ruth Kelly who added insult to injury by putting her Rt Hon foot in the muck by  trying to placate the uproar caused by using the phrase “we get it”

That’s just it. Neither she nor the money sucking, part foreign owned water companies she represents, do get it. It is not just the act of trying to apologise for this disaster that has caused such anger. ,

By spending £10 billion by 2030 they promise to reduce the number of sewage spills. But get that. “The number”. Not all. The number, currently running at over 800 a day. And get this.. Actually, a current average of 825 a day

But even now after so much criminal neglect will they spend that much?. No. In 2018, they promised to spend £50 billion on cleaning up their act. What happened to that promise?

In any event, they don’t intend to spend a single penny. They intend to BORROW THE MONEY and add the WHOLE cost of repayment of this debt TO OUR WATER BILLS.

THERE ARE TWO THINGS THAT BOTH OUR GOVERNMENT . AND WE SHOULD DO. the Water Services Regulation Authority should apply the heaviest fines the law allows for releasing untreated sewage into our environment, whether it’s a thousand gallons, a bucket full  or a cupful

One result of this could be little or no money left to pay what has been billions to water company shareholders by way of dividends and increased share values. It is estimated that a huge £72 billion  in dividends alone has been paid to shareholders since 1989 when the industry fell into private hands

Paying punitive fines for EVERY spillage could have the effect of reducing the value of those shares and  the dividend pay outs  and therefore the value of each water company,  enabling the Government of the day to afford to renationalise.

Although unlikely THE ACTUAL VALUOF EACH COMPANY COULD FALL TO AS LITTLE AS £1- YES A POUND as has happened to a number of big companies recently and in the past. Surely, faced with this threat, the companies would indeed not borrow but fork out the cash to pay for a major clean up

Secondly, we need to get organised with a mass public reaction of refusing to pay any increases in our bills which are a direct result of the companies borrowing $10 billion.

In any event, this sum – and the pun fully intended – would be a mere drop in the ocean. Make no mistake. Whatever happens or does not happen, contamination by raw sewage will continue. We have to start doing something now and the actions suggested here are entirely feasible and their their results entirely predictable.

endit