Page 5 | to think the water companies need to buck their ideas up

JenniferBooth · 2026-05-31T12:18:35+00:00

SE water failures yet again. Even had the temerity to write to customers to tell them to be extra careful with their usage. I come under Anglian Water and we had three burst pipes in this part of Essex last week . I heard that my hairdresser had to empty her emersion tank so she could wash clients hair. She couldnt rebook because she is fully booked. Bad enough there is an aversion to air con in this country but now we are begrudged running water in a heatwave too.

TotHappy · 31/05/2026 13:40

Can someone explain to me, in simple terms, why they AREN'T being held to account? From my perspective it looks like this:

they take money from us, on their terms, and we have no choice
they give the money to shareholders/executives
the services they're supposed to provide fail, repeatedly and publicly
they shrug and say they can't fix it because they haven't got any money left
cycle repeats

How is it not possible to just take the companies off them, on the grounds that they're not doing the job? I've heard people saying we'd have to buy them back to renationalise - but why when they're so clearly not meeting the terms of the contract??

ChardonnaysBeastlyCat · 31/05/2026 13:39

I agree.

Climate change is here to stay, drought conditions will be more widespread.

We gave no new reservoirs, the pipes are antiquated and leak, demand is rising with the rising population numbers.

The government is putting cart in front of the horse with the endless building with no water provision,

We are sleep walking into a huge crisis.

Original poster

JenniferBooth · 31/05/2026 13:38

Perrygreen · 31/05/2026 13:29

We don't have an "aversion to air con". We don't need it 11 months of the year in this cold little island. Air con heats up the climate anyway. We need better designed houses and streets with small trees and shade. Grey water recycling should be fitted into every new home. And a water butt.

We do need better water infrastructure though, the government need to come down on the water CEO's like a ton of bricks. But people also need to stop using stupid hosepipes and wating grass, non essential flowers and shrubs etc.

During the summer of 2022, the UK experienced five distinct heatwave periods ranging from 3 to 16 days in length, which culminated in a historic national temperature record of (40.3^{\circ }\text{C}). 1, 2]
According to the UK Health Security Agency, the five heatwave episodes included:
Episode 1: 4 days (June 16 to June 19)
Episode 2: 16 days (July 10 to July 25), which included the most intense 2-day period of Level 4 extreme heat (July 18 and July 19)
Episode 3: 7 days (July 30 to August 5)
Episode 4: 10 days (August 8 to August 17)
Episode 5: 3 days (August 23 to August 25)
The UK experienced four distinct, relatively short-lived heatwaves during the summer of 2025, each lasting between 5 to 6 days. While these events were brief, they occurred throughout the season and resulted in the warmest overall UK summer on record. 1, 2, 3]
Breakdown of the 2025 heatwave events:
Heatwave 1 (Third week of June): Officially declared in mid-June, lasting about five days in central and eastern England before breaking with thunderstorms.
Heatwave 2 (Late June - Early July): This event lasted about six days for parts of Yorkshire and the Humber and five days in the East. A longer, more intense spell of this heatwave affected London and southern areas, peaking at 34.7°C between June 23 and July 2.
Heatwave 3 & 4 (July and August): Additional, intermittent heatwaves occurred during these months, pushing the overall summer average for the UK to a record-breaking 16.1°C. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

What is a heatwave?

Find out more about heatwaves and what to do when they occur.

https://weather.metoffice.gov.uk/learn-about/weather/types-of-weather/temperature/heatwave

OP posts:

dizzydizzydizzy · 31/05/2026 13:33

woolybears · 31/05/2026 13:21

Water companies can't control the water cycle - if there's no rain, then reservoirs will gradually empty and groundwater doesn't recharge. If we all play a part in conserving water then there will be enough to go around when we need it. The population is increasing and more housing is being built - we need to face up to that.

Population increase and climate change have been well known facts for many years or even decades. I can remember learning about climate change in science and geography in the early 1980s

it is a total failure to plan and invest. Tbe water
companies are too busy paying out dividends.

Original poster

JenniferBooth · 31/05/2026 13:33

Perrygreen · 31/05/2026 13:29

We don't have an "aversion to air con". We don't need it 11 months of the year in this cold little island. Air con heats up the climate anyway. We need better designed houses and streets with small trees and shade. Grey water recycling should be fitted into every new home. And a water butt.

We do need better water infrastructure though, the government need to come down on the water CEO's like a ton of bricks. But people also need to stop using stupid hosepipes and wating grass, non essential flowers and shrubs etc.

And those of us in flats?

OP posts:

Perrygreen · 31/05/2026 13:29

We don't have an "aversion to air con". We don't need it 11 months of the year in this cold little island. Air con heats up the climate anyway. We need better designed houses and streets with small trees and shade. Grey water recycling should be fitted into every new home. And a water butt.

We do need better water infrastructure though, the government need to come down on the water CEO's like a ton of bricks. But people also need to stop using stupid hosepipes and wating grass, non essential flowers and shrubs etc.

Original poster

JenniferBooth · 31/05/2026 13:24

woolybears · 31/05/2026 13:21

Water companies can't control the water cycle - if there's no rain, then reservoirs will gradually empty and groundwater doesn't recharge. If we all play a part in conserving water then there will be enough to go around when we need it. The population is increasing and more housing is being built - we need to face up to that.

They could fix their leaky pipes One was leaking for a MONTH locally AND on the heatwave threads the heatwave lovers couldnt wait to point out how much rain we had last winter. And you need to tell housing associations because they are the ones fitting baths not showers. Im not going to bed a stinky sweaty mess because i have a bath.

OP posts:

woolybears · 31/05/2026 13:21

Water companies can't control the water cycle - if there's no rain, then reservoirs will gradually empty and groundwater doesn't recharge. If we all play a part in conserving water then there will be enough to go around when we need it. The population is increasing and more housing is being built - we need to face up to that.