by Kit Knightly, Off Guardian:
A look through the headlines suggests that – along with our money, food, communication and transport – our water supply is in line to be part of the “Great Reset” remodel of society.
This is hardly surprising, but maybe we don’t talk about it as much as we should.
For a few years now a “water crisis” has been a C list headline doing the rounds in local papers and near-empty parliamentary discussions – but now suddenly it’s hitting front pages proper.
TRUTH LIVES on at https://sgtreport.tv/
In March scary reports were published alleging that waterbourne diseases had increased by 60% in the last decade.
Earlier this year the UK’s water companies requested OfWat – the government regulator – increase the price of water.
Then, earlier this week, it was announced the price would be even higher than expected, with some areas seeing a prices raised by 84% over the next six years, prompting predictable outrage.
Even as prices increase, the companies are still folding. Thames Water – the largest water company in the country – is over £15 billion in debt and is desperately seeking emergency loans.
We’re also being told that our infrastructure is dated and “creaking”. Just hours ago the BBC published an “in-depth read” on the UK’s water infrastructure:
The water industry is in crisis. Can it be fixed?
Amusingly enough, this article argues that the country essentially has too much water, and that increased rainfall causes flooding which overwhelms water treatment plants and causes sewage to leak into fresh water.
So – more rain = a water crisis. Less rain = a water crisis.
It’s apparently very difficult getting the amount of water right for them
Top tier MSM logic.
Government ministers are actually claiming the UK could face a drinking water shortage in the near future.
We might have to import water from overseas in giant tankers!
Anyway, the “problem” has been clearly stated, so we’re into the “reaction” phase.
Two days ago the government announced a brand new “Government Independent Water Commission”, apparently the largest review of the water sector since it was privatised in the late eighties.
A sidebar historical note on the UK’s water system. It was “privatized” in 1989 by Thatcher’s government, but it has never really subject to true Capitalist market forces. Rather the local water authorities were sold and transformed into regional for-profit water companies.
Customers have no choice of water supplier, and are forced to pay local water companies whatever the government “regulator” says the price should be.
Essentially it’s a system of regional monopolies. It’s a corrupt and unfair and takes advantage of ordinary people…but it’s been that way for thirty-five years.
Call me cynical but I find it hard to imagine this “review” is going to be about making it less corrupt or more fair .
So what is it about?
Well, there’s a lot of talk about renationalization. Labour ruled it out back in September, but the press are largely in favour (even The New York Times), so maybe Starmer will be “pressured” into “changing his mind”.
What this “renationalization” might look like, and exactly how much of our tax revenue will be spent on it, is hard to imagine at this point.
We’ll have to wait for the results of the “review” to see what direction the narrative goes. But it’s largely immaterial.
Whether the UK’s water is private, public or the good old private-public partnership, the end goal seems to be “reducing demand”. At least, according to a government report from earlier this year.
Back in March, the previous administration published a report titled “A summary of England’s revised draft regional and water resources management plans”, which details the “problem”:
