The Privatization of Water: A Dirty Business
The Shocking Truth About Our Water System
Since the privatization of water in England and Wales in 1989, we have treated water companies as cash cows, our rivers as sewers, and our beaches as middens. This is one of the biggest robberies perpetrated on an unsuspecting population in recent times. The profits from rising water bills have gone into the pockets of venture capitalists, while we have lost safe access to our rivers and coastal waters for swimming and other recreation. We are also losing the abundant wildlife that used to call those waters home.
The circumstances surrounding the death of eight-year-old Heather Preen, so sensitively dramatized in Channel 4's 'Dirty Business', should never have happened. That it did is an indictment of successive governments and their agencies who thought regulation could be left to the companies. Removing the profit motive from water is the only answer. Whatever the cost, we owe it to the Heathers of the future - our children and grandchildren - to safeguard their wellbeing.
The Dark History of Water Pollution
In Victorian London, human waste was channeled straight into the Thames, giving rise to cholera, which killed more than 10,700 people in 1853-54. The polluted waters of the Thames led to the Great Stink and waterborne diseases, particularly cholera and typhoid fever, which killed huge numbers. In 1858, Parliament sanctioned the money for a sewage system to be implemented.
The Incentive for More Drama
It's hard to disagree with Simon Jenkins' article about trial by media and the blurring of the lines between fact and fiction. However, as the Post Office scandal demonstrates, it wasn't until the drama 'Mr. Bates v. The Post Office' was aired that the authorities pulled their finger out and took decisive action. If it appears that the only way for government or regulators to be pushed into action is via the popular media, then there will be incentive for more of these fictional dramas.
The Need for Action
Therefore, another lesson to be taken from this issue is for government and regulators to do their job properly and in a timely manner rather than wait for the latest docudrama to hit our screens. As citizen scientists, we are taking water samples from a tributary of the Wye twice a week as part of a long-term project with Cardiff University. Last week, three large tankers pumped digestate onto fields adjoining the river, a mile from my house, releasing a strong smell like rotting vegetation. It rained heavily, so the material was likely to be washed into the river, increasing the level of pollution.
Don't Dilute the Message
Please don't dilute the message, Simon Jenkins. What we are hearing from 'Dirty Business' is only part of an appalling story of neglect. We need to take action now to safeguard our water system and the future of our children and grandchildren.
