Water companies and the UK Government are tying to convince the British public water is scarce while wasting billions of litres of treated water, GMB Union has said.
While the UK swelters on one of the hottest days on record, the Government has launched a public consultation on reducing personal water consumption in order to protect supplies and the environment.
We use less than 2 per cent of rainfall that falls in our country – yet England’s nine privatised water companies let 2.4 billion litres of treated water a day leak from our creaking underfunded infrastructure.
Last month GMB revealed water fat cats had trousered £70 million in the past few years, while shareholders had scooped £6.8 billion.
And while water top brass and shareholders pocketed these eye-watering sums, consumer water bills in England and Wales have increased by 40% above inflation since privatisation in 1989 according to a report by the National Audit Office.
Stuart Fegan, GMB National Officer, said: “Once again water fat cats are trying to take us for a ride. They waste billions of litres every day, use less than 2% of the rain that falls in our country – yet they try and persuade us water is scarce and we need to ration our usage.
“It just wont wash – especially while Brits swelter on one of the hottest days ever.
“The UK already has the infrastructure in place to move water from areas in the UK where it is plentiful to areas where it is more scarce along our network of canals.
“GMB is calling on the Government to take back the tap and bring water back where it belongs – in public hands.
“Then profits can be put into making sure everyone can use as much water as they need – rather than lining shareholder pockets.”