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Face the Facts: Northern Ireland Water

Northern Ireland Water

10/02/2011

BBC Radio 4 - Face the Facts, Northern Ireland Water

John Waite investigates what went wrong at Northern Ireland Water.

John Waite investigates what went wrong at Northern Ireland Water over Christmas and New Year. Many people were left without running water over the holidays, some for over a week.

After tens of thousands of people were left without running water over the holidays John Waite investigates the troubled history of Northern Ireland Water. It's had four chief-executives in just four years and is neither a fully independent commercial organisation nor a traditional public body. 
Why after decades of under-investment in its infrastructure has the company under-spent by £32 million this year?
Why were people left to melt snow and gather water from streams just to flush their toilets?
And could the introduction of direct water charges be the solution to some of its problems?

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