Don’t pipe down when you deal with the water bullies

To me this is worthy of the “bully boy” tactics one would expect from some shady operator, “a nice little earner” for the “foreign owners and their shareholders no doubt. Del Boy would be proud.

Do the pipes really need replacing, or is this just some arbitrary rolling renewal plan?

Are the residents experiencing difficulty getting the water out of their taps and are any of the pipes leaking or broken?

If not, apart from those actually requiring repair, there is no justification to replace all of them.

The water company and Basildon Council must be called to account and explain their reasons.

This is a very serious issue for all householders.

If E&SW get away with this without scrutiny by an independent referee as to the need for replacement, it is tantamount to writing them a blank cheque to do what they like and charge indiscriminately for it.

It is also a fair bet other water companies are watching this closely and will not be slow to jump on the band wagon if they get away with it!

This whole issue has the hallmarks of blatant “profiteering”

with the consumer as ever being seen as some cash cow.

It is about time shareholders shoulder some of their responsibilities and re-invest some of the profits by taking lower dividends.

I won’t hold my breath.

Mike Hansford
Blenheim Chase
Leigh

...How about all of us making a reduction to the payments of our water bills bearing in mind the inevitable hose pipe ban.

What money has been invested to ensure the maximum amount of water is contained in reservoirs?

Turkey has six months of hot weather repeatedly year after year, has a greater population then the UK and yet what little rainwater does fall is sensibly contained in underground reservoirs to reduce water evaporation.

The average water bill for a Turkish householder, inclusive of sewerage charges is £12 per month.

Aren’t we all big drips for paying a whole lot more?

N Vince
Rocheway
Rochford