WATER companies were condemned today as “a symbol for the failure of privatisation writ large” after polluting and profiteering operators announced another round of price increases.

Household water bills will rise by an inflation-busting 6 per cent on average this year, taking the annual average bill to £473.

But water companies continue to spew untreated sewage into rivers and coastal waters — and Lake Windermere has become another dumping ground.