Selling water

London’s first big water company was based here. It was set up in 1609 when the city was growing and needed more water. The company’s plan was to create a network of water pipes and charge people to connect to them. This was a new idea.

A group of wealthy and politically powerful investors paid the company start-up costs. They used money from government-backed piracy and overseas trade.

At first, Londoners protested about paying for water, but the business grew. Today, every home in London is connected to privately-owned water mains.