Why is there water in so much trouble?

The entire water and waste area was privatized for £ 7.6BN under the conservative government of Margaret Thatcher 34 years ago. At that time, Mrs Thatcher wrote the industry’s £ 5BN loan, leaving companies with a clean slate and gave them £ 1.5BN in public money.

The government wanted to privatize the industry in 1984, but a public backlash against the plan gave it shelter until three years later after the general election. At that time, the UK was under pressure from Europe to improve its purity of its water.

However, to meet European standards, it would cost billions of pounds worth investing, which was expected, from the private sector and, from the expansion, customers of companies.

In 1988, Mrs Thatcher said, “If we want environmental improvement, it will spend money.”

Former Labor MP N Taylor later said about privatizing the water industry: “The message is always the same – the consumer should maximize the cost to ensure the maximum return.