Britain's dirty water problem will not wash away

Living on an island famed for its rainy climate, water is one thing residents of Great Britain should not have to worry about — but increasingly, they do.

Pollution of its waterways and coastal waters, the perilous state of sewer infrastructure and damage being done to the environment and human health have turned water into a major crisis.

In recent years, Britian's rivers and beaches have been blighted by more frequent pollution incidents, often caused by an ageing sewer system struggling to handle capacity, and dumping untreated sewage in the sea. Intensive agricultural production has led to rivers being flooded with farm waste, and extreme weather has added to the strain.

In November, a protest march entitled Flood the Streets will take place in London, bringing together thousands of people who are concerned about Britain's waterways.

In the late 1980s, the regional water authorities in England and Wales were sold off by the government, in the hope that as private companies, they would become more efficient, benefitting customers, and to reduce government debt by eliminating the need to borrow money and support them.