Head of Communities, Erica Popplewell, at The River Trust says “systemic change” is needed as Thames Water are fined £122.7m for breaching rules over sewage spills and shareholder payouts.
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Report by Ajagbef. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
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00:00Yeah, fines is a start, but there are abilities that the government now have following recent legislation that they could have prison sentences for senior executives.
00:08And if this was a landfill company and they were causing that much pollution, you'd be much more likely to see a prison sentence.
00:14So why different for a water company?
00:16But the real issue is the systemic change needed in the industry.
00:19And while we have private companies who prioritize profit over stopping pollution, I don't think it's going to work.
00:26So we want to see Thames Water taken into special administration by the government and a change in that mindset that means investment is made and real improvements are made for the long term.
00:35I think they're forgetting that they provide an essential service.
00:38We don't choose whether we have water or not.
00:40And when you move to a new area, despite a letter saying, welcome and thank you for choosing Thames Water, it's not a choice.
00:45So you can't have that system being run by a private company without really strong regulator and enforcement actions.
00:51So no, I don't think it's fair to prioritize their investability over providing a value for money essential public service.