When industries close ranks, when regulators look the other way, and when companies bury the truth under glossy advertising, customers are left with one weapon: information. In the battle over our water system, access to data is not a luxury — it is essential.
The reality is this: the water industry has been allowed to operate in darkness for too long. Shareholder payouts, leaks, sewage spills, and cost-shifting have all been hidden or downplayed. If we are to hold them accountable, we must demand transparency. That starts with using the tools the law already gives us: Data Subject Access Requests (DSARs), Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, and Environmental Information Regulations (EIRs).
Why DSARs Matter
Under the UK GDPR, every individual has the right to know what data is held about them by a company or public authority. This means:
- If you’ve complained to a water company, you can demand every email, note, and record connected to your name.
- If they’ve tried to shift costs to your insurer, you can request all internal correspondence on your case.
- If your data has been shared between the water company, contractors, or regulators, you have the right to see it.
Used properly, DSARs expose the truth that companies prefer to keep hidden — the gaps in service, the internal blame-shifting, and the real reasoning behind decisions that hurt customers.
Why FOI and EIRs Matter
Water companies themselves are not always subject to Freedom of Information law, but regulators and local authorities are. The Environmental Information Regulations (EIRs) go further, allowing requests on anything that impacts the environment, including:
- Leakage rates and maintenance plans.
- Sewage overflow records.
- Internal assessments of infrastructure risk.
With FOI and EIRs, customers and campaigners can pull back the curtain on the wider system: how much water is being lost, how often sewage is being dumped, and what regulators really know about company failures.
The Power of Scale
A single DSAR or FOI request is powerful. A hundred could overwhelm an entire department. A thousand could shake the industry to its core. Every request generates hours of work, every disclosure uncovers uncomfortable truths, and every document increases public awareness of just how bad things have become.
This is not theory. It is a measurable risk:
- Five companies receiving just 100 DSARs each could face thousands of staff hours in compliance.
- A national campaign encouraging households to demand their data could create a flood of evidence — and a flood of costs.
- The reputational impact of leaked internal documents would be catastrophic for trust in both water and insurance sectors.
Why Updated Information Is Crucial
Companies thrive on delay. They hide behind outdated reports, selective statistics, and PR-friendly snapshots. But the law gives us the right to demand current, updated, verifiable data. Without it, regulators cannot regulate, customers cannot act, and politicians cannot legislate.
Updated information is not just about accountability. It is about forcing companies to face the reality they would rather ignore: collapsing infrastructure, spiralling debt, and rising public anger.
The Verdict
Information is power, and in this fight, it is the only power customers truly have. Every DSAR, every FOI, every EIR request is a weapon against secrecy and spin. If the water industry wants to hide behind slogans and overseas investors, then it must be dragged into the light.
💧 Takeaway: The future of our water system depends on transparency. Customers must use their rights to demand data, expose failures, and hold companies to account. Only with updated, undeniable information can we break through the lies and force change. The pen — or in this case, the request form — is the sharpest weapon we have.