IN June 2021 Ofwat wrote to all water and sewerage company CEOs about the growing concerns on the use of storm overflows and the importance of the sector responding to the challenge.

One of the points of concern was that it appeared that the water companies’ decisions, including on dividends and performance related pay, should take into account the delivery of the companies’ obligations and commitments to customers.

It said all companies have been allowed funding to comply with their legal obligations and each year the boards certify to Ofwat that they have enough money to carry out its regulated activities.

In other words, they have all the money they needed to invest in the infrastructure, so it comes like a slap around the face this week when the water companies announced, after being forced into taking action by public opinion, that we will all have to fork out an extra £150 a year to pay for upgrades to the infrastructure.

It begs the question, where has all the money gone that we paid you to carry out the work over decades that they were supposed to invest? If they haven’t spent it when do we get a refund?

I’ll tell you where millions of pounds of our money went, into the pockets of shareholders And the bosses at these corporations treated it like their own private piggy bank – and now they’ve been found out they want us to pay for it. It really does beggar belief. Privatisation is the only answer. In the meantime, when can we the public expect a refund? Don’t make me laugh.