Imagine a day where you wake up, and there's no water flowing from your taps, nothing to drink, no use of showers, baths, no washing up, washing machines.

That's exactly what happened in our community and many others. Several postcodes and effecting up to 15,000 homes (according to Thames water), all whilst we have been faced with increasing bills in some cases double the cost.

Our area has been grappling with severe water outages, water leaking at a reported 750 Litres a second, being banned from using hoses, and the escalating pollution of our precious rivers. What's even more infuriating is that while we, the consumers, suffer, the executives of these water companies are being awarded substantial bonuses and fat salaries with little accountability.

Such as: 

-Steve Buck received a controversial £1 million signing-on bonus in July 2026.

-Chris Weston received £57,244 after the company exercised its discretion to buy back a remaining balance of annual leave he did not take.

-Thames Water paid out £2.46 million in retention bonuses to 21 senior managers from emergency loan funds.

*According to the Guardian.

The water company responsible for maintaining our essential resources has grossly neglected their duties. They have failed to invest in necessary maintenance and infrastructure improvements. As a result, not only are we facing service outages, but we are also witnessing the environmental degradation of our rivers due to pollution. May 2025: The water regulator Ofwat handed Thames Water a record £122.7 million penalty (£104.5 million for illegal routine sewage discharges from storm overflows.

This irresponsible management has put a strain on our daily lives and the health of our ecosystems.

Water is a basic human right, not a privilege. We, the affected community members, should not be penalized financially for services that were never delivered. We cannot stand by and watch as the water company demands we pay for their negligence while they reward themselves with bonuses.

We need the water company to take responsibility for their actions and stop passing on these costs to us. We demand immediate action to reinvest in our water infrastructure, repair existing systems, and ensure that there is clean, safe water for all in our area. Further, there must be accountability measures in place to ensure that the executives prioritize community needs over personal gain.

Please sign this petition to urge the water company to reconsider their actions and priorities, and work towards a solution that benefits the community rather than exploiting it. Together, we can demand the respect and service we deserve from our water providers.

Thank you.