Skip to main content
Daylight robbery and ruination of the environment
MATT WILLGRESS explains why only public ownership of water and energy supplies can stop the corporate rip-off and help tackle the many crises England faces
FINGER IN THE DIKE: Pumping out excess sewage from the Lightlands Lane sewage pumping station in Cookham, Berskhire on June 21 2024

NOT a week goes by without more stories about the scandals and problems besetting Britain’s private water companies, most notably the possible collapse of Thames Water, which is in deep financial trouble, despite taking billions out of the company in loans and dividends.

Disgracefully, it was revealed at the end of 2023 that Thames Water had pumped at least 72 billion litres of sewage into the Thames since 2020.

And it’s not just Thames Water.

The 95th Anniversary Appeal
Support the Morning Star
You have reached the free limit.
Subscribe to continue reading.
Similar stories
Swans on the river Severn in Worcester. Temperatures are set to continue to rise across the UK throughout the week, and more regions are likely to reach their local heatwave thresholds, July 9, 2026
Science and Society / 15 July 2026
15 July 2026

Capitalism has exploited — and polluted — our natural resources for too long, it’s time we treated our rivers as living beings, writes MIRIUM GAUNTLETT, LIAM SHAW and ROX MIDDLETON

A tanker pumps out excess sewage from the Lightlands Lane sewage pumping station in Cookham, Berskhire which flooded after recent heavy rainfall, January 10, 2024
Features / 26 February 2026
26 February 2026

Channel 4’s Dirty Business shows why private companies cannot be trusted with vital services like water, says PAUL DONOVAN