Beyond the Public: Experiences in the Social Control of Water

This briefing paper has been produced by Abundance to influence the debate about the ownership and control of water in the UK. It reviews four different international experiences, and calls for the development of a new model of social control.

The briefing argues that although bringing Thames Water into a Special Administration Regime might be an essential first step, it in no way guarantees that it will be run in the public interest. History proves that state ownership offers us no guarantees that shareholder profits won’t once again be prioritised against the common interest. To guard against this we need to develop a clear vision – and work towards an organisational structure – that would guarantee the social control of water.

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