The Anonymous Widower

Thames Water Gets It Wrong Again

Thames Water has just announced that it is applying to put up water bills. It is reported here on the BBC. Here’s the first couple of paragraphs.

Thames Water has asked its regulator, Ofwat, for permission to raise prices.

It wants to put up bills by about £29 per household during 2014-15, but has asked Ofwat if it can spread the rise over more than one year.

I have been privileged to go on a Thames Water tour of the sewers a couple of years ago, so I know some of the problems they face in dealing with London’s sewage and delivering the city’s water.

But I can’t help comparing the way they handle their customers, with the way Crossrail deals with those who might use their new railway.

From the burst water mains in Herne Hill, Notting Hill and Regent Street recently to the timing of announcements of price rises, they either seem to be unlucky or have no sense of how to use positive information to get customers on their side in a small way.  For instance, where is the parallel archaeology project to the Super Sewer, like Crossrail’s one with their new rail line?

We’ve also seen no report on what caused the fatberg in Kingston recently? This would appear to be something that was beyond their control. So why not be honest?

I have seen no reports too, about some of the superb water and sewage engineering, put in by Thames Water  at the Olympic site. And where’s the sewer cam on the Internet, that can show the conditions that they have to deal with?

Thames Water seem to be going out of their way to attract bad publicity.

August 12, 2013 - Posted by AnonW | World | London, Public Relations, Sewers, Thames Tideway Tunnel, Thames Water