The government announcement that tougher sanctions might be applied to failing water company executives. The Water (Special Measures) Bill has come after 35 years after privatisation and decades of sewage spills into water courses and the sea. Every major English water company reported discharges of raw sewage when the weather was dry which was in all likelihood an illegal practice. Maintenance has been cut to the bone, making the possibility of infrastructure failure more likely and negating the required improvements and upgrades..
Meanwhile, Thames Water continued to make dividend payments to shareholders as debts mounted which may mean a taxpayer bailout while bills rocket.
Sewage alerts on some of Britains finest beaches have made them virtual no-go areas for humans and dogs and caused untold harm to marine stocks and wildlife. Parks and gardens have water courses fed from rivers and streams so they are no more safe accessible.
It seems that, rather than closing the sluice gate to water company executives, this desultory legislation, even of passed, will be shutting the stable door.