www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/aug/15/drou…

"Water companies leak more than 3bn litres a day. That is enough to supply almost 22 million people with their daily water needs of around 142 litres. In some areas, companies are leaking nearly a quarter of all the water they are expensively...www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/aug/15/drou…

"Water companies leak more than 3bn litres a day. That is enough to supply almost 22 million people with their daily water needs of around 142 litres. In some areas, companies are leaking nearly a quarter of all the water they are expensively treating. Thames Water is the largest and the worst company of all, losing more than 635m litres of water a day. All companies regularly pledge to reduce leaks – as they have for many years – but many expect to make cuts of only 50% in the next 20 years. Ofwat figures show that leakage rates have more or less remained the same for 20 years. So much for 20 years of promises.

England and Wales are the only countries in the world to have fully privatised their water supplies. Following intense international grassroots opposition from the 1990s onwards, all other countries retained some state control over pricing, investment and quality. The evidence suggests that privatisation in England and Wales has led to higher bills, little or no reduction in pollution or waste, and no greater water security. That’s called progress." Show more