We have reached 311,000+ signatures on our petition for the water industry to return to public ownership, an incredible landmark. However, we now want to take it further and force MPs to discuss it.

In the coming weeks, we will be delivering this petition to number 10 and will keep you updated on that but, before then, we have a request.

If you watched Dirty Business, you'll be familiar with the incredible work done by Windrush WASP to tackle the issue of sewage pollution. Ash Smith of Windrush, and with the support of the Sewage Campaign Network, has an official government petition live calling for a national referendum on bringing the water industry into public ownership.

It is off to a flying start, with 47,000+ signatures, but we need it to get past 100k for it to be considered for an official parliamentary debate.

The petition can be found here: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/762640

Please consider adding your name to this second petition as this is an extremely meaningful step towards achieving what we all want. Here are some words from two of the leading campaigners on this issue to explain why you should add your support:

Ash Smith (Windrush WASP): "We have had enough of being told that we can't have public ownership of water, especially when the reasons given by the government are so demonstrably false. Put that alongside the reality that powerful financial interests dictated the course of the recent review into water regulation to make it more attractive to shareholders and we have a very toxic blend of catured regulators and fake democracy where only water company owners areteh winners.

The government is now representing the people who are exploiting the billpayer and the environment and setting up the public as captive prey for monopoly companies selling something none of us can do without.

So, how do we bring back justice and democracy to the process? By petitioning for a referendum to let the public decide. After all, who would say that the public should have no say in water supply and pollution protection and should just pay up and shut up? I guess we are about to find out! Please sign and get your voice back."

Matt Staniek (Save Windermere): " The call for a referendum is about more than just changing ownership. It is about restoring democratic oversight to an industry that has too often prioritised the interests of those extracting profit over the public. This is a simple question: do you want a say in who owns our water?

A referendum is not a new idea. In March 1994, Strathclyde Regional Council held a postal referendum on the privatisation of water and sewerage services, with 97% voting against.

We are asking you to share this with friends and family. Everyone has been affected in some way by the current system, and the government is failing to act in the public interest."