What happens to the money we pay Yorkshire Water?

I have written to the Sheffield Star about Yorkshire Water.

Dear Editor

John Bunting is right when he says more people produce more sewage (Star 21st May see below). But more people also provide more money for the water companies when they pay their bills. The question is what happens to that money?

Unfortunately, it is not being invested to improve our sewer systems or increase our water supply. 

Many water companies have taken on unsustainable debt and pay billions to shareholders. £78bn has been paid out in dividends over the last three decades. For every pound of your water bill, an estimated 35 pence goes on debt or dividends.

Our rivers and streams are full of sewage and 3 billion litres of water are lost to leaks every single day. I have noticed five different leaks a short walk from my house already this year. The Climate Change Committee say that private water companies have failed to prepare for drought and dry weather. They are also ill-prepared for the extremely heavy storms we now experience due to global heating. 

Yorkshire Water faces 125 criminal investigations over sewage dumping and has been fined over £5m which they pay with our water bills. They are still fleecing customers, dumping sewage and paying dividends, yet no executives have been prosecuted.

It’s time to end the disastrous experiment with privatisation and take these companies back into public ownership.

Yours sincerely

Graham Wroe

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John Bunting’s letter.