London's Water Wars. The competition for London's water supply in the nineteenth century

Topics:

  • Name Public ownership & control inc nationalisation, municipalisation & privatisation
  • Name Legislation & regulation exc h&s & competition policy

Countries:

Library:

Groups:

Notes:

Based on an Open University master's dissertation. The writer was a senior executive of Metropolitan Water Board, later Thames Water Plc, 1970-2000. An account of competition between London's leading water companies in an unregulated environment ahead of public ownership, and the subsequent move to regulation. Chapters include: 'The possesses - the old water companies to 1805'; 'The newcomers - the establishment of the South London, West Middlesex and East London Companies, 1805-10'; 'Competition, 1810-15'; 'Agreement, 1815-18'; 'The question of charges, 1818-21'; 'The Parliamentary Select Committee of 1821'; 'Fraud and investment - the men behind the companies'; 'The first Metropolis Water Act'; 'Competition yesterday and today'; 'Appendix - Historians' attitudes to the London water companies'. Much about individual companies