The drought.

[TheOstrich]

Now if they'd built a National Water Pipeline rather than HS2 ......

Pipeline cost: £400m
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-l ... e-57602841
HS2 cost: £98bn
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16473296

But it doesn't fit the current political narrative, does it? It's levelling up the South, not levelling up the North ....
And it's not whizzy enough as an eye-catching infrastructure project.

[Suff]

Anglian water needs to do this work because their core water supplies are from pumped wells. Whilst Yorkshire water was getting wonderful ratings and a growing stock value, by doing zero investment and giving huge dividend to shareholders; Anglian was being punished for "wasting" good shareholder dividend in repairing the water network and reducing waste.

Also another way of looking at this is that excess water in the North is a resource which can be added to the economy. But if there is no way to transport and sell that resource, then it's no damned use to the North. Putting in the pipeline allows the North to sell their water to the south. In effect, levelling up.

[cromwell]

Time to re-nationalise maybe?
Os, as I'm sure you remember the need for a national water network was pointed out in 1976 and forty six years later we are no further forward.
Btw the CEO of Thames water is on £750,000 per year plus bonuses.

[Workingman]

Part of that plan was to use the canal network as a conduit for a lot of the water. It is very near to all of the major urban areas so a relatively small amount of pipe laying was needed.

[Suff]

It was nixed when it became clear that Yorkshire water had a signal crayfish problem and to push their water down the canal system would expand it exponentially.

[Kaz]

I honestly think all utilities should be nationalised, at the moment it seems to be all about providing big dividends for shareholders

[TheOstrich]

I honestly think all utilities should be nationalised, at the moment it seems to be all about providing big dividends for shareholders

Well, Kaz, I still have my British Gas shares from de-nationalisation. You remember Tell Sid?

So yes, my shares are now with Centrica. And yes, they are going to pay me a dividend.

All of £1.80 .......

-------

Yes, I agree they should consider re-nationalising the energy companies. But given the French and German involvement, you will hear the high-pitched squeals all the way to the European Court of Justice and back if they do.

[Suff]

France renationalising EDF when they own 85% of it is one thing. The UK renationalising companies which have been 100% sold off is something else entirely.

Germany also keeps a solid 30% or so of their utilities in government ownership. Meaning any 51% take over is at limited cost and impact. It's always touted as something easy to do, but, in reality, even a 51% take over is highly fraught with issues. After all we are a country which lives up to our adherence to international agreements.

Aren't we?

One of those agreements is that you don't just "take away" companies owned by investors. If you want to nationalise these companies legally, you do it at full market value, cash on the barrel.

[Workingman]

Sod what other countries do, especially EU ones. We are supposed to have taken back control, time to act.

I am not actually for full nationalisation, more for a series of public-private partnership, but ones heavily in the nation's favour. We do not need multiple water companies, energy suppliers or rail franchises. They are not in any markets other than their own ones in the UK.

We can take them back, and we should.

I would also get rid of NHS trusts as well.

[TheOstrich]

It was nixed when it became clear that Yorkshire water had a signal crayfish problem and to push their water down the canal system would expand it exponentially.

I wouldn't worry about the crayfish. They're already in the upper reaches of the River Stour down here in Dorset and the local Wildlife Ranger or whatever regularly organises a day's Netting Event for the local kids in the summer holidays.
I've seen them and they're a fair old size (the crayfish, not the kids ) .... I wouldn't want to tangle with one!