Dirty business C4
Discussion
What a great first episode.
Touching drama with a mind boggling insight into the workings of water companies and the environment agency.
Even though we watch news reports about the antics of water companies, I came away feeling angry and sorry for those affected in the ultimate way!
Well worth a watch.
Touching drama with a mind boggling insight into the workings of water companies and the environment agency.
Even though we watch news reports about the antics of water companies, I came away feeling angry and sorry for those affected in the ultimate way!
Well worth a watch.
Don Veloci said:
Yeah,
Only watched Ep.1 but once I got used to the rhythm of the rapid time line hopping I thought it possibly one of the best dramatisations I've seen in a while. Sticking the knife in the whole
show
Absolutely. I don’t normally like dramas tgat flit back and forth but they got it spot on.Only watched Ep.1 but once I got used to the rhythm of the rapid time line hopping I thought it possibly one of the best dramatisations I've seen in a while. Sticking the knife in the whole
show Hopefully the backlash snowballs like the post office drama did.
I've just watched the first one.
Interesting how they got a reference to the Post Office in.
The Environment Agency deregulation staff meeting/chat on operator self monitoring struck a chord with me as an ex civil servant.
Then the water company engineer talking about how water companies are flipped to make profit with no attempt to invest.
But the really memorable bit for me was the child in hospital. Heart breaking.
Well done to all those that make the effort to expose things like this.
Interesting how they got a reference to the Post Office in.
The Environment Agency deregulation staff meeting/chat on operator self monitoring struck a chord with me as an ex civil servant.
Then the water company engineer talking about how water companies are flipped to make profit with no attempt to invest.
But the really memorable bit for me was the child in hospital. Heart breaking.
Well done to all those that make the effort to expose things like this.
As someone who is in the WASP (Windrush Against Sewage Pollution) area and follows the group almost religiously, I've now watched all 3 episodes (couldn't wait till tomorrow for ep.3).
Very damning of both the water companies and (so-called) Environment Agency cover up as I expected, but as indicated by the few comments on this thread it's not getting enough attention (yet) - unlike the PO scandal (which aired on ITV).
Perhaps the programme title isn't grabbing enough?
Hopefully, it will get more exposure in the days to come.
Poison Water, the BBC2 documentary which aired last year, about the Camelford water contamination in 1988, considered the largest mass poisoning in British history, is compelling viewing too, which also explored accusations of cover up, and leaked gov. memo fearing a police investigation would damage the privatisation of the water industry, but again didn't get coverage like the PO scandal.
Very damning of both the water companies and (so-called) Environment Agency cover up as I expected, but as indicated by the few comments on this thread it's not getting enough attention (yet) - unlike the PO scandal (which aired on ITV).
Perhaps the programme title isn't grabbing enough?
Hopefully, it will get more exposure in the days to come.
Poison Water, the BBC2 documentary which aired last year, about the Camelford water contamination in 1988, considered the largest mass poisoning in British history, is compelling viewing too, which also explored accusations of cover up, and leaked gov. memo fearing a police investigation would damage the privatisation of the water industry, but again didn't get coverage like the PO scandal.
I don’t even live near this area but was absolutely shocked by what I saw in this series! (Watched all 3)
No doubt it was dramatised but I’m sure there is a very true thread running through it. Just corrupt management of the problem, looking to put money over environmental health and the usual tossers at the top making money in whatever way they can.
Even before episode 2 I knew that dog poo or dodgy ice cream would be seen as an excuse for what happened.
It’s appalling.
No doubt it was dramatised but I’m sure there is a very true thread running through it. Just corrupt management of the problem, looking to put money over environmental health and the usual tossers at the top making money in whatever way they can.
Even before episode 2 I knew that dog poo or dodgy ice cream would be seen as an excuse for what happened.
It’s appalling.
It’s difficult to watch it without shouting at the TV as the various characters try every trick in the book to deny any issues. The law needs to hold the heads of these businesses personally responsible so that the company isn’t just fined (which gets passed on to the customers anyway) but individuals are held directly accountable for what goes on.
Here's a very recent pollution incident in Scotland
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5yvlw5nny5o
Oh, and Scottish Water is a public utility. It wasn't privatised when the English water industry was.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5yvlw5nny5o
BBC said:
Residents in a Perthshire village have been told their tap water is safe to drink again after diesel spilled into the River Dochart.
The water supply to households and businesses in Killin was disrupted after an incident at a petrol station on Friday.
Scottish Water said extensive flushing of the network has taken place and specialist laboratory staff have carried out rigorous sampling on the water.
All restrictions have now been lifted and customers can use their normal water supply for drinking, food preparation, brushing teeth and all other purposes.
The big difference here is that Scottish Water has received a great deal of praise for their reaction to the spill. SEPA (Scottish Environmental Protection Agency) not so much so! The owners of the fuel station blamed the leak on a bungled robbery at the disused facility. The police apparently didn't have any robbery reported to them. Make of that what you will.The water supply to households and businesses in Killin was disrupted after an incident at a petrol station on Friday.
Scottish Water said extensive flushing of the network has taken place and specialist laboratory staff have carried out rigorous sampling on the water.
All restrictions have now been lifted and customers can use their normal water supply for drinking, food preparation, brushing teeth and all other purposes.
Oh, and Scottish Water is a public utility. It wasn't privatised when the English water industry was.
I've just watched episode 2. Gee whizz! Where to start? I don't remember the Post Office series winding me up this much but that might just be my memory playing tricks.
The guy working at the Environment Agency whilst being on the board of a water company. What the flip.
And the utterly useless EA at the court case about the young girl's death. I appreciate it's a reconstruction but I assume that has to show it along the lines of what actually happened?
The poor father of the girl that died.
But it was amusing to see the part that Tom Walker from the Jonathan Pie videos had. And fun to see Alice Lowe in it too. I remember her from Garth Marenghi.
Well done to Surfers Against Sewage, The Rivers Trust and people like Fergal Sharkey who have been doing what they can for decades. And to the real life residents that were part of this episode at a public meeting.
Am I getting this right? Water company bosses and shareholders make money from scraping by with no investment. Pollution occurs and they eventually get fined. Customers pay the fines because the profit has already gone?
I'm open minded, but will renationalisation just mean the UK taxpayer paying to sort it all out?
The guy working at the Environment Agency whilst being on the board of a water company. What the flip.
And the utterly useless EA at the court case about the young girl's death. I appreciate it's a reconstruction but I assume that has to show it along the lines of what actually happened?
The poor father of the girl that died.
But it was amusing to see the part that Tom Walker from the Jonathan Pie videos had. And fun to see Alice Lowe in it too. I remember her from Garth Marenghi.
Well done to Surfers Against Sewage, The Rivers Trust and people like Fergal Sharkey who have been doing what they can for decades. And to the real life residents that were part of this episode at a public meeting.
Am I getting this right? Water company bosses and shareholders make money from scraping by with no investment. Pollution occurs and they eventually get fined. Customers pay the fines because the profit has already gone?
I'm open minded, but will renationalisation just mean the UK taxpayer paying to sort it all out?
Randy Winkman said:
The guy working at the Environment Agency whilst being on the board of a water company. What the flip.
I haven't watched this but I believe the EA Director you refer to was a non exec director at British Water, a lobbying group, rather than a water company.The same EA director then left the EA to join Southern Water a year later.
xx99xx said:
Randy Winkman said:
The guy working at the Environment Agency whilst being on the board of a water company. What the flip.
I haven't watched this but I believe the EA Director you refer to was a non exec director at British Water, a lobbying group, rather than a water company.The same EA director then left the EA to join Southern Water a year later.
"We are the leading UK membership body representing the interests of businesses working in the supply chain of water and wastewater ....... "
https://www.britishwater.co.uk/
Whilst it's really helpful for such a group to be well informed they could get the same information from simply having good engagement with the government/regulator. And if they arent supposed to get particular info for any reason then he definitely shouldnt be on the board.
Watched the final part last night.
As a life long fisherman and someone who lives near the coast and likes to take the dog for a walk there I’m appalled by the state of regulation and enforcement of the law wrt to pollution and the harm it causes.
I like Feargal Sharkey’s notion that by changing the accounting rules for the water companies to include debt on their balance sheet they effectively are no longer a going concern.
If they fail the going concern test then the ownership of the company reverts to government control and the share holders take a bath, ie receive nothing.
I’d also like the law to be fully enforced to give jail time to those responsible for deliberately dumping sewage all the way up to the CEO. In fact I’d start at the CEO and COO and work down from there.
As a life long fisherman and someone who lives near the coast and likes to take the dog for a walk there I’m appalled by the state of regulation and enforcement of the law wrt to pollution and the harm it causes.
I like Feargal Sharkey’s notion that by changing the accounting rules for the water companies to include debt on their balance sheet they effectively are no longer a going concern.
If they fail the going concern test then the ownership of the company reverts to government control and the share holders take a bath, ie receive nothing.
I’d also like the law to be fully enforced to give jail time to those responsible for deliberately dumping sewage all the way up to the CEO. In fact I’d start at the CEO and COO and work down from there.
I've just watched the final one and remain gobsmacked by the whole thing.
among all of the info provided at the finish was that since privatisation, water companies have extracted £85bn in dividends and accumulated more than £60bn in debt.
And that England and Wales is the only nation in the world with fully privatised water and sewerage.
Really odd that this programme doesn't seem to be getting the attention that the post office one did. Perhaps there's only the appetite for one.
among all of the info provided at the finish was that since privatisation, water companies have extracted £85bn in dividends and accumulated more than £60bn in debt.
And that England and Wales is the only nation in the world with fully privatised water and sewerage.
Really odd that this programme doesn't seem to be getting the attention that the post office one did. Perhaps there's only the appetite for one.
j4r4lly said:
It s difficult to watch it without shouting at the TV as the various characters try every trick in the book to deny any issues. The law needs to hold the heads of these businesses personally responsible so that the company isn t just fined (which gets passed on to the customers anyway) but individuals are held directly accountable for what goes on.
Nick Ferrari said it few years ago. And the amount of people saying this wasn't fair, or not the answer was revolting frankly!
Even the guy who made this video says the answer is nationalisation. Which it isn't because no government can run anything properly! And unless we say that the MP in charge of this will go to jail for 5 years. It will not improve anything!
Randy Winkman said:
I've just watched the final one and remain gobsmacked by the whole thing.
among all of the info provided at the finish was that since privatisation, water companies have extracted £85bn in dividends and accumulated more than £60bn in debt.
And that England and Wales is the only nation in the world with fully privatised water and sewerage.
Really odd that this programme doesn't seem to be getting the attention that the post office one did. Perhaps there's only the appetite for one.
This, it's absolutely shocking and I must admit I didn't realise the scale of it. I knew it was bad, but christ, I can't comprehend how some of these people could have slept at night.among all of the info provided at the finish was that since privatisation, water companies have extracted £85bn in dividends and accumulated more than £60bn in debt.
And that England and Wales is the only nation in the world with fully privatised water and sewerage.
Really odd that this programme doesn't seem to be getting the attention that the post office one did. Perhaps there's only the appetite for one.
I think the name Dirty Business perhaps isn't obvious to catch people's eye, but similar to the few comments, I can't believe this hasn't gotten more awareness - it impacts every single one of us.
The death of the child was really well done, and quite distressing.
However, there isn’t a lot of comparison between the water companies and the PO scandal, one is a broken system, we can all see it’s a broken system, even if was back in state hands, it would still a broken system. The other was 100% fault of the company, but they blamed the operators, who were criminalised, jailed, bankrupt, and even died.
Yes, the money being paid out feels like a kick in the teeth, but at the end of the day, it’s all agreed buy the authorities.
However, there isn’t a lot of comparison between the water companies and the PO scandal, one is a broken system, we can all see it’s a broken system, even if was back in state hands, it would still a broken system. The other was 100% fault of the company, but they blamed the operators, who were criminalised, jailed, bankrupt, and even died.
Yes, the money being paid out feels like a kick in the teeth, but at the end of the day, it’s all agreed buy the authorities.
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