Water, water everywhere.....
It is, I think, sometimes difficult to see the connection between good utilities and economic growth and then a story just lands in your lap that illustrates the issue perfectly.
Essex and Suffolk Water (part of Northumbrian Water) is stopping new non-domestic water connections, in part of Suffolk. The ban also means existing businesses will not be able to use more water than they currently do.
The press is full of pictures of dour faced brewers quite rightly pointing out that it is impossible to increase the production of beer without more water. But you could say the same for any other business really. You cannot expand an office without more water for the cleaners and toilets, manufacturing uses masses of water, the list goes on and on.
The articles all come with the usual press releases from the water company boasting that they are investing like mad to fix the issue. However they are not investing enough to fix the issue by 2033 which is how long the moratorium lasts.
The hit is, of course, not limited to Suffolk or even to water. Who would build a factory or warehouse where it cannot guarantee plentiful water and electricity and gas and sewerage, not to mention roads and broadband?
The water companies whine that they face climate change challenges, growing populations and increasing demand, but they have known this for years and failed to prepare.
Incompetent, greedy, under regulated utilities hit growth, they have to work first time, every time, all the time; or they are a drag on the economy.
Suffolk is just an example of what is going wrong, it will take decades to fix and meanwhile the whole economy will suffer.
Economics, trade and Brexit, not necessarily in that order but the dog always comes first.
By Jonty Bloom Media
What the water company is doing is forcing any company that wishes to expand to invest in systems to recycle the water that they use while at the same time putting up prices because they claim THEY need to invest. Yet another scam/con from a water company.
Water must be put back in the hands of the people.
And for years water just came out of the tap and society saw it as a virtual zero cost utility. You pay the ‘water rates’ and you get the stuff no restrictions.