I am sure everyone has seen the news about the Northern Ireland water supply problems. Some people may not get reconnected until next week!!
Now as a Conservative I have always favoured privatisation.
Can anyone argue why nationalisation is so good, given the poor performance (40% below the private companies in the rest of the UK according to their Irish regulator) of the nationalised water system in NI?

The N. Irish may not at the moment pay water rates, but they apparently soon will to boost investment.

On the final point Lizzie.......
The impression given in some media reports was that there are currently no water charges, which is misleading. Households pay for water as part of their overall domestic rates - there is no council tax in Northern Ireland - which also go towards education, health and transport. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/6498983.stmThis has been a vexed question for some time now - especially since the new rate revaluation system introduced by the last Labour government hiking the domestic rates considerably for some.
In general this new company - government owned but operationally independent (quasi private) has made a poor job of managing the resource....
Four NI Water board members have been sacked following an investigation into how the company awards its contracts.http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/8563672.stmAnd so this story has history and will, no doubt, continue to make history.
On the general point of privatisation I have few problems with the general concept - when robust and truly independent regulation is available to contain the excesses of private concerns, but since when in this country has that been seen to really work in the favour of the consumer?.
The untoward effects of the ever present desire for private companies to protect the ‘bottom line’ will be felt, no doubt, next year when the train operators in the UK will attempt to hike fare prices once again on some lines.
January Train Ticket Price Hike 'Outrageous' http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Business/Rail-Tickets-To-Rise-In-Price-By-An-Average-Of-62-From-January-2011/Article/201011415823646Privatisation - fair enough - but for opps's sake regulate it properly.