Water UK’s Stuart Colville says the level of investment in planned infrastructure projects would be unthinkable under public ownership. Plus letters from Brian and Annie Marshall, Chris Widden and Jean Betteridge
Your recent coverage of England’s water industry only tells half the story (Revealed: 70% of England’s water firms in foreign hands, 30 November). Privatisation has brought more than £160bn into an industry previously starved of cash, while transforming its efficiency, saving £120 a year for each customer. England’s performance compares well against international peers across drinking water quality, leakage, customer service, sewage treatment and overall investment.
We also know that water companies have much more to do, including on storm overflows, on which they are about to spend £56bn in one of England’s largest infrastructure programmes of recent times. That will transform rivers, and represents a level and speed of investment that would be inconceivable under public ownership.
Stuart Colville
Director of policy, Water UK
