After seeing the photo on the front page of this week's Chronicle, I was reminded of a statement made by Flick Drummond (who?) and wondered how many reckless people, flushing toilets during a thunderstorm, it took to flood the High Street with sewage? 

The real culprit, of course, is the failure of the water companies to invest in improving our drainage and sewer systems rather than paying huge profits to their CEOs and shareholders. Will they be paying compensation to homeowners and businesses affected by the floods? Probably not.

Interestingly, in another part of your paper was a photo of flooding in the High Street from the 1920s, when presumably there was far less demand on a Victorian sewage system then, than now.

Given that there is currently a boom in house building in the Winchester area and likely to increase according to the government's wishes, will Southern Water be able to cope? Or will they, at long last, be forced to put their hands in their pockets (or more likely ours) to improve and update the water systems – or will they blame it on "act of God"?

Carolyn  Bullen,
Battery Hill,

Stanmore,
Winchester

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