WHAT has now become obvious from this now-serious shortage of water is that, when the water industry was in public ownership, there was massive under-investment and maintenance.

This became apparent 40 years ago in Blackburn when the Fylde Water Board had to step in and take over the supply to Blackburn to prevent disaster.

The privatised companies have invested money on a gigantic scale in an attempt to overcome this failure and still have a long way to go.

After all the carping and whingeing about the private companies, no-one has seriously suggested that the calamity that is fast approaching would not have occurred if the water supply had remained under public ownership.

Gas, electricity, petrol, beer and many other commodities are sold by measure, so it can only be right that water should be charged for on similar lines, with those using the most paying the most.

WALT MEADOWS, Whalley New Road, Blackburn.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.