Emeritus Prof Christopher May

Once again evidence suggests the water companies are being allowed to 'mark their own homework' by an under-funded Environmental Agency, lacking capacity to make site visits (hardly a mistake; a direct & intended consequence of austerity, as yet only partly reversed).

As the water & sewage scandal, now subject to a TV docu-drama series, becomes ever clearer, one can only wonder how much longer the supporters of privatisation can hold out?

#water #sewage #politics
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/mar/01/thousands-pollution-incidents-england-downgraded-without-site-visit-data-suggests

Thousands of pollution incidents in England downgraded without site visit, data suggests

Exclusive: Whistleblower figures show large rise in ‘serious’ to ‘minor’ downgrades based on water company evidence

The Guardian
Mar 1 at 10:10amWeb
Show threadTC Won't Give In To LiesMar 1

@ChrisMayLA6

Privatisation of critical utilities is an economic (and moral) mistake

#NationaliseWaterNow

Show threadrobMar 1
@ChrisMayLA6 they can and they will hold out as long as they want to. Opprobrium will not shift them, public opinion will not shift them, drama documentaries, however harrowing, will not shift them. The only thing that will shift them is government legislation, which this government is too pusillanimous to do.
Show threadDavid SMar 1

@ChrisMayLA6

Ah but they will argue it's not privatisation to blame but a lack of a strong regulator. Of course they'll then argue to water down the regulator in due course...

Show threadEmeritus Prof Christopher MayMar 1

@Pionir

which would make sense, as you say, if strong regulation had *ever* been supported by promoters of privatisation....

Show threadBashStKidMar 1

@ChrisMayLA6 I don’t mind if the companies do their own testing, *providing* the frequency, what analysis to do, QC and reporting, and record retention is all under strict external control. (And there’s no reason why that should not be an openly accessible database)

We could even give it a name, maybe the Inspectorate of Pollution?

Show threadTuhinMar 1
@ChrisMayLA6 I think we should make water companies fund the visits for Environmental Agencies!
Show threadBlingoAliMar 2

@ChrisMayLA6
We started watching an ITV drama last week. It was sponsored by the Post Office: a cuddly-looking company, caring for all their customers and the community.

Lovely…