Nationalise the sewage tippers

■ Beaches have been flooded with raw sewage by privatised water companies who also discharge untreated sewage into our rivers. This is a direct consequence of an ideology that insists private profit is more important than public good – even with water, life’s most precious resource.

In 2021 privatised water companies discharged raw sewage into rivers and coastal waters 372,533 times while at the same time the annual bonuses paid to their executives rose by 20%.

Water must be brought back into public ownership and run with the aim of providing the public with clean, safe water and unpolluted rivers and seas.

Sasha Simic, North London

■ Keir Starmer should do what a real Labour government would do – renationalise utilities including water companies.

We produce our own gas, but it’s sold on the open market, while water companies have sold off reservoirs to housing developers. Vast profits are going into shareholders pockets instead of benefiting the people. In the meantime, our rivers and seas are being polluted by water companies who are allowed to get away with it. They leak water because renewal would mean less profit for shareholders.

Kathleen Pound Northampton

■ Water companies should take measures to ensure sewage isn’t released into our rivers and seas. It is horrifying to think holidaymakers cannot enjoy the benefit of swimming in unadulterated water. The unprecedented number of beaches contaminated is a shocking illustration of the inadequacy of water industry regulator Ofwat. The Government must overhaul it.

M Smith, Chatham, Kent

■ It’s sickening our beaches are being polluted with raw sewage by unscrupulous water companies who seem to think they can get away with it time and time again.

More than 40 are now affected at a time when families are taking their summer holidays.

Many have been unable to leave our shores because of airline chaos. When you consider the megabucks the water bosses “earn” while doling out obscene cash to shareholders in dividends, it’s a national disgrace.

Bill Cook, Teignmouth, Devon

■ It’s absolutely disgusting that many of the beaches in this country are being polluted by raw sewage. Not only is it a public health hazard, but it will also put off visitors. The water companies are getting away with discharging this filth and the Government isn’t doing anything to stop it.

Utility companies are making vast profits but aren’t doing nearly enough to improve infrastructure.

Customers must not be forced to accept a hike in charges to pay for cleaning up this rubbish.

They must stop the dividends to shareholders.

Tony Howard

Salford, Gtr Manchester

■ Again we see the reward for failure in this country as water companies sold off by the Conservatives dump untreated sewage in to the sea. Why have they not invested in infrastructure? Greed is the answer.

M David, Goole, East Yorks

■ We used to be proud of our clean water in this country – but not since the water companies have been allowed to pollute our seas and rivers with raw sewage.

Our children deserve to have clean water.

Mindy Lee, Woodford Green, Essex