It’s raining as I write this, although that’s not a surprise. This is England in winter. Sometimes it seems as if the rain just won’t stop, and yet we have a water problem. Several water problems, in fact.
One is that the UK has a growing population with growing demands for water, but authorities have not built a new reservoir for more than 30 years, since 1992. Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves has announced that nine new reservoirs will be built, although that will take another few years and £7.9 billion ($9.7 billion) of investments.
New reservoirs fix only one part of the country’s water problem. When rain hits the ground, water becomes a resource. It has value and then costs, just like any other commodity for human use, enjoyment and profit. But the lovely stretch of the English Channel that I swim in (when the weather is better) is, like other seas around the world, increasingly dirty.
In some places, discharges of sewage mean some beaches in the UK are at times unsuitable for bathing. A water company failed to stop the pollution of Lake Windermere, one of the most beautiful stretches of water in England’s Lake District, for several hours last February. That incident was only reported to the government’s Environment Agency about 13 hours after the problem surfaced.
Something similar happened in 2022, in the equally breathtaking landscape of the Wye Valley. The Wye is the fourth-longest river in the UK. It had its ecological status downgraded largely as a result of chicken manure washed away from local farms. According to a 2024 survey carried out by the Public First research agency, “84 per cent of the British public see water pollution as either a significant issue or somewhat of an issue”, while “three quarters of the public think reform of regulation of the water sector should be the main or one of the main priorities for the government”.
Some of the UK’s water and sewage system dates to reforms instituted in Victorian times after cholera epidemics and what was called 'The Great Stink' of the polluted River Thames in July 1858
A key complaint is that water bills repeatedly rise in the commercially owned UK water system. It used to be publicly owned until former prime minister Margaret Thatcher privatised the water industry in 1989. The result is that consumers pay increasingly high bills to local monopolies, which at times provide a wasteful and failing service.
These companies are regulated by a government watchdog known as Ofwat, but in practice it has proved difficult to persuade the companies to invest more in long-term improvements to the service (including reservoirs and new pipes) rather than pay short-term dividends to investors.
Some of the UK’s water and sewage system dates to reforms instituted in Victorian times after cholera epidemics and what was called “The Great Stink” of the polluted River Thames in July 1858. The smell from the river was so bad that the Houses of Parliament were forced to suspend sittings.
Nowadays, cracked pipes and other supply failures mean that water companies in England and Wales waste about 150 litres of drinking water for every person every day. In 2023, those water companies lost more than 1 trillion litres of water in leaks, according to newspaper reports of the companies’ 2023-24 annual performance. The worst performer leaked 570.4 megalitres a day – a megalitre is 1 million litres – or more than 200 billion litres in total. That is equivalent to just less than a quarter of that company’s entire water supply.
Losing a quarter of your supply in any industry would be astonishing but the figures are, to coin a phrase, eye-watering.
In 2023, the government’s National Infrastructure Commission quantified the need for extra water supplies at about another 1,300 megalitres a day, the equivalent of 5,200 Olympic-sized swimming pools every day. That same year, raw sewage was discharged for 3.6 million hours into rivers and seas. That’s a doubling – a 105 per cent increase – on the previous 12 months.
Meanwhile, data from Companies House, a government agency that maintains the register of companies, shows that water companies' bonuses to senior executives increased from £9.01 million in 2022 to £9.13 million the following year. It may seem puzzling to discover that the biggest UK water company, Thames Water, ended up reporting more than £15 billion of debts. The conclusion many consumers and now politicians have reached is that, in various ways, the UK is often rewarding failure.
For readers in the Middle East, a region that some estimate to have 5 per cent of the world’s population yet just 1 per cent of water supplies, all this may seem simply weird. How can a wet island in the Atlantic Ocean have a water problem? But Britain is not alone.
Western regions in the US, with growing populations in California, Arizona and elsewhere, have a developing water crisis that already means the Colorado River flows mightily through the Grand Canyon but nowadays never reaches the sea at Baja California. There is no water left.
Water disputes, predictably, will be part of the future even in the wet UK, North America and, of course, in areas where water has always been in short supply. The first recorded water war was in Mesopotamia – a dispute between the cities of Lagash and Umma in 2450 BCE. The problem isn’t in the skies. It’s on the ground with humans, and it needs to be fixed.
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Bobby Grudziecki, chief operating officer of Frank Porter, identifies the five most popular areas in Dubai for those looking to make the most out of their properties and the rates owners can secure:
• Dubai Marina
The Marina and Jumeirah Beach Residence are popular locations, says Mr Grudziecki, due to their closeness to the beach, restaurants and hotels.
Frank Porter’s average Airbnb rent:
One bedroom: Dh482 to Dh739
Two bedroom: Dh627 to Dh960
Three bedroom: Dh721 to Dh1,104
• Downtown
Within walking distance of the Dubai Mall, Burj Khalifa and the famous fountains, this location combines business and leisure. “Sure it’s for tourists,” says Mr Grudziecki. “Though Downtown [still caters to business people] because it’s close to Dubai International Financial Centre."
Frank Porter’s average Airbnb rent:
One bedroom: Dh497 to Dh772
Two bedroom: Dh646 to Dh1,003
Three bedroom: Dh743 to Dh1,154
• City Walk
The rising star of the Dubai property market, this area is lined with pristine sidewalks, boutiques and cafes and close to the new entertainment venue Coca Cola Arena. “Downtown and Marina are pretty much the same prices,” Mr Grudziecki says, “but City Walk is higher.”
Frank Porter’s average Airbnb rent:
One bedroom: Dh524 to Dh809
Two bedroom: Dh682 to Dh1,052
Three bedroom: Dh784 to Dh1,210
• Jumeirah Lake Towers
Dubai Marina’s little brother JLT resides on the other side of Sheikh Zayed road but is still close enough to beachside outlets and attractions. The big selling point for Airbnb renters, however, is that “it’s cheaper than Dubai Marina”, Mr Grudziecki says.
Frank Porter’s average Airbnb rent:
One bedroom: Dh422 to Dh629
Two bedroom: Dh549 to Dh818
Three bedroom: Dh631 to Dh941
• Palm Jumeirah
Palm Jumeirah's proximity to luxury resorts is attractive, especially for big families, says Mr Grudziecki, as Airbnb renters can secure competitive rates on one of the world’s most famous tourist destinations.
Frank Porter’s average Airbnb rent:
One bedroom: Dh503 to Dh770
Two bedroom: Dh654 to Dh1,002
Three bedroom: Dh752 to Dh1,152
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Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
