Summary
Water is the world's most precious resource. It's also big business. As climate changes and populations shift, getting water where it needs to be is a huge global challenge. And that's without the added problem of leakage. And how much should consumers pay for something that none of us can live without? Evan Davis and guests discuss an industry which has changed almost beyond recognition in just a few decades - from state-owned water providers to international business players. Guests: Peter Simpson, CEO Anglian Water Bryan Harvey, Vice President CH2M HILL Olivier Bret, CEO Veolia Water UK Producer : Rosamund Jones.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Thank you for downloading this program from the BBC. |
| 0:03.0 | In this edition of the bottom line, Evan Davis and guests discuss the challenges the water industry faces in a world of water scarcity. |
| 0:11.0 | Hello and welcome to the program. Now, if you have enough of it, you don't worry about it. |
| 0:17.0 | If you don't have enough, it is really the only thing that matters at all. Water is a unique commodity. |
| 0:23.1 | It's also an unusual business, and it's our topic today. In particular, the supply of water and how to manage demand. |
| 0:31.3 | Well, I have three water industry leaders with me. Let's spend a few minutes just to meet each of them and we'll start with Peter Simpson |
| 0:37.7 | chief executive of Anglian Water, the water provider for the largest region in England or geographically |
| 0:44.8 | the largest region and Peter's quite a dry region as well. |
| 0:48.7 | It is very dry. We have about 600 millimetres of rain a year which is about equivalent |
| 0:53.2 | to what they have in Jerusalem. |
| 0:57.5 | I guess another aspect that's worth mentioning, very, very fast growing. |
| 1:01.0 | Has been for the last 20 years, will be for the next 20 years. |
| 1:01.9 | This is Cambridge. |
| 1:05.0 | The hubber around Cambridge is expanding. But also Milton Keynes, Northampton, all of those areas, lots of houses coming in. |
| 1:10.2 | About 500,000 houses over the next 15 to 20 years, just in Anglian's region alone. |
| 1:14.9 | From our point of view, one of the things that's really important to mention is that every single year we're investing about half a billion pounds of money in new infrastructure. |
| 1:23.4 | And across the industry as a whole, we've invested since privatisation in 89, about £100 billion. |
| 1:28.6 | I mean, I think the problem is that the customers haven't noticed low prices. |
| 1:32.2 | And there are, I mean, the prices since privatisation have gone up by 50% in real terms, haven't they, or more? |
| 1:38.4 | Actually, the reason bills have been going up is that investment programme. |
| 1:41.8 | Okay, thank you for that. |
| 1:42.9 | Well, my next guest is based in Malaysia and works all over Asia. |
... |
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