A: Not really – even Scotland has state water works. It is unusual for a water supply to operate exclusively privately. In many European countries, such as France, their utilities are managed by public-private partnerships. In others, such as Spain, the issue is somewhat decentralized, with some cities served by private companies and the rest of the country by a public water supply. Proponents of public ownership say water is such an important resource that there must be accountability. The government must be able to take control in a crisis. Some point to the rather curious situation we have in England, where the government is urging water companies to ban pipes, but is powerless to force them to do so – and they refuse. Q: So the UK government can’t force water companies to do anything. What does this mean for procurement? A: The big idea behind privatization is that it makes a profit, which can be plowed back into infrastructure, giving us shiny new pipes, tank loads and absolutely no leaks. Apparently, this has not happened – shareholders have become incredibly rich off the backs of water companies in England and Wales because much of the profit is used to pay them, rather than updating our infrastructure. The Angling Trust has campaigned for new reservoirs so we don’t have to keep sucking up our precious chalk streams – but the last time a large reservoir was built was before privatisation. Reservoirs are expensive to build and it would cost billions to update our pipes so they stop leaking. This resulted in having an infrastructure built to sustain the population a few decades ago, instead of the larger one we have now. Q: So, in France, where only 9,000 people are served exclusively by private water companies and not by public-private partnerships or public companies, do they absolutely have to swim in the water? A: Not exactly. This year, France has been hit hard by the European drought and has placed water restrictions across the country. It is partly because of public control of water that the government is able to do this, but it is also much worse in terms of supply. This week, 100 villages were left without running water, meaning they had to get their supply from state-provided tanks parked in town centers. France is a big country and it is difficult at the best of times to move water from wetter areas to drier ones, especially when the issue is devolved and you have different municipalities that deal with water differently. Q: What about leaks? How bad are we compared to other countries? A: Leakage is a problem across Europe. As private companies don’t want to tear up roads to replace pipes, governments also want to save money and not cause disruption. Italian government ministers recently claimed that up to 42 percent of the water supply is lost through pipes. In England it is about a quarter, according to a recent analysis. In Ireland, where water has been nationalized, Dublin recently topped the league table with the worst leaks of any European city. Q: Is it cheaper for countries with less privatization? A: When the government has some control over the water supply, it can keep prices out of control. Italy, for example, has a hybrid system of publicly and privately owned water companies. The average monthly water bill there is €20, which is around £17. In England it is 34 pounds. However, water is very undervalued in Italy according to the OECD, and it seems that Italians have a laissez-faire attitude to their supply – they have the highest consumption in Europe at over 200 liters per day per capita. This compares to around 150 liters a day in England.
