[lazeeboy]

I must agree with most of the comments, but the real culprits are the water companies themselves, we read how pipework can be 100 years old and the water companies are themselve responsible for more wastage, more than any of their customers, through leakage. The solution is to invest in new pipework where required.
If the water, a natural resource, is allowed to be charged at unworkable rates, people will use less, flush the tiolet less, sewers will not be flushed and that in itself could create more problems.
Privatisation should not be an excuse to run down established businesses and then complain that they can't afford to invest to run the business correctly.