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that isjonathan amos, our science correspondent, on that story. the uk's biggest water supplier, thames water, is in trouble. there are reports that it could be on the brink of collapse. it's had a number of isses in recent years, with sewage spills and leaks, not to mention it's got around £14 billion of debt. now thames water is in talks to secure extra funding and the government says it is ready to act in a worst case scenario. what does that all mean? with me now is dr ewan mcgaughey, who is a reader in law at king's college london and specialises in public services and regulated industries. what does that mean, in terms of what scenarios could lie ahead for teams water?— teams water? that is a great question- — teams water? that is a great question. i am _ teams water? that is a great question. i am not _ teams water? that is a great question. i am not sure - teams water? that is a great question. i am not sure what teams water? that is a great - question. i am not sure what the government wants to do yet. it's level of failed to engage in trying to get proper water services to british bill payers has been incredible. i think it is worth stepping back and seeing that there's been £72 billion paid out to private water companies in england since privatisation. there lived up with £53 billion of debt. thames
acoustic anomaly on their underwater microphones around about the time the sub went missing. —— they will have hydro phones because they will be listening for russian subs. like ou to be listening for russian subs. like you to our — be listening for russian subs. like you to our science _ be listening for russian subs. like you to our science correspondent, jonathan amos. rosie in glasgow and phoenix in ellesmere port are our callers. it morning. phoenix? goad callers. it morning. phoenix? good morninu. callers. it morning. phoenix? good morning- for— callers. it morning. phoenix? good morning- for a _ callers. it morning. phoenix? good morning. for a start, _ callers. it morning. phoenix? (emf. morning. fora start, condolences callers. it morning. phoenix? (emf. morning. for a start, condolences to all of the families out there. it is obviously a hard time for them. but the guy has to answer for this because he was clearly told his submersible did not meet standards to go 4000 metres deep into the water. , to go 4000 metres deep into the water, , , to go 4000 metres deep into the
fascination. ifound why there is this enduring fascination. i found this quote on the titanic story, at a basic level it has something to do with the hubris involved, something with human failing. you realise this is the apex of the elegant life and then you are on your way to the ocean bottom. very much an aspect of the human condition, as is the need to explore, the need to endeavour, the need to go beyond the final frontiers. should we think specifically about the titanic, is it somewhat ghoulish and lacking in respect or is it a story that needs to be told and thinks we still need to be told and thinks we still need to find out? so many human stories this week. jonathan amos as our science correspondent. what a week you have had. we will be with you in a second but first let's hear the us coast guard which broke the news of the sad loss of life and what had happened at a press conference in boston at around 8pm last night. a rear admiral said that a robot had
across the uk head to the bbc news website. you're live with bbc news. where that had to our science correspondent who is in our newsroom. we've been hearing lots of talk about debris, about tail cones, nose cones. could you just in the simplest terms just explained that to us? simplest terms 'ust explained that to us? �* . . ~ simplest terms 'ust explained that to us? 3 simplest terms 'ust explained that to us? �*, ., to us? let's take you through the arts, to us? let's take you through the parts. the — to us? let's take you through the parts, the fragments, _ to us? let's take you through the parts, the fragments, the - to us? let's take you through the parts, the fragments, the bits . to us? let's take you through the parts, the fragments, the bits of| parts, the fragments, the bits of debris that they seem to have identified on the sea floor of the atlantic. one of the items they have found is this, the structure at the bottom, the landing frame. this is what the sub uses to sit on dry land, on the deck of a ship, just to be steady, even the seafloor. they've also found this superficial nose cone structure at one and and they've also found the two titanium
coastguard and the states ofjersey i and also guernsey for supporting our companies _ and also guernsey for supporting our companies here _ and also guernsey for supporting our companies here. thank— and also guernsey for supporting our companies here. thank you - and also guernsey for supporting our companies here. thank you very- and also guernsey for supporting our. companies here. thank you very much for your— companies here. thank you very much for your time — just the last few minutes we have heard that arf —— raf plane has a right to st. john's international airport that is in newfoundland of canada the canadian side of the search and rescue mission and a further two planes are expected to arrive tomorrow or rather. so indeed this search and rescue operation has been continuing as more and more international offers have been coming in. let's go to our science correspondent. give us an idea, jonathan, of the area again of where this debris that the us coast guard has been located, where that is and what other possible debris might be in this field. we are talking about a huge search area _ we are talking about a huge search area. really massive. i want to take you back— area. really massive. i want to take you back to— area. really massive. i want to take you back to one of the search map that was— you back to one of the search map that was put out by the us coast guard _ that was put out by the us coast guard. this displays when they have
of tinrine _ be necessary. that is another factor of timing. and then a rescue salvage operation _ of timing. and then a rescue salvage operation would take a certain number— operation would take a certain number of hours before the submersible could be lifted to the surface _ submersible could be lifted to the surface. so there are a lot of limiting _ surface. so there are a lot of limiting factors in this process. how— limiting factors in this process. how hopeful are you that this rescue mission is going to end successfully? to mission is going to end successfully?— mission is going to end successfull ? ., , ., , ., �* successfully? to be honest, i don't like the question _ successfully? to be honest, i don't like the question of— successfully? to be honest, i don't like the question of looking - successfully? to be honest, i don't like the question of looking at - like the question of looking at probabilities. there is a chance, and we — probabilities. there is a chance, and we have to take the chance, and that's— and we have to take the chance, and that's it _ and we have to take the chance, and that's it jan — and we have to take the chance, and that's it. y . , , .~' and we have to take the chance, and that's it. y . , , a ., that's it. jan opderbecke, good to talk to you- _ that's it. jan opderbecke, good to talk to you. let's _ that's it. jan opderbecke, good to talk to you. let's talk _ that's it. jan opderbecke, good to talk to you. let's talk now - that's it. jan opderbecke, good to talk to you. let's talk now to - that's it. jan opderbecke, good to talk to you. let's talk now to our. talk to you. let's talk now to our science correspondent once more, jonathan amos. it was interesting to talk to jan, because the atalante is equipped with this deep sea underwater robot, but as he was
metal ends, the titanium caps in this cylinder —shaped vessel. and they are doing it at timed intervals and in a repeated pattern. and they are doing that to indicate that they are doing that to indicate that they are alive, but also to help the search forces find out where they are. and they would do that using listening devices at the surface, they are called solar boys. if they contain the receipt of the signal to those different buoys, they can get a fix on the source of the sound —— solar buoys. they send a robot down into a search box which may be at that point, if they have really good data, less than 100m, so smaller than a football pitch. but time is really important now as we have been hearing. maybe only a day's breathable oxygen left. they have to find that sub and then work out how to bring it back to the surface. jonathan, thank you, jonathan amos, our science correspondent. a new study has found a big rise in teenage girls diagnosed
intact. ,, ., ~ ., , to the surface if it is still intact. ,, ., ~ ., to the surface if it is still intact. ,, ., . ., , intact. stefan williams 'oining us from the university _ intact. stefan williams 'oining us from the university of_ intact. stefan williams joining us from the university of sydney, i intact. stefan williams joining us - from the university of sydney, thank you so much. you're watching bbc news. joining me now isjonathan amos, ourscience news. joining me now isjonathan amos, our science correspondent. jonathan, we talk about the depths of the ocean. just give us a sense of the ocean. just give us a sense of the ocean. just give us a sense of the conditions down there. the huge pressures, the very low temperatures and pitch darkness. it is going to be tough for that crew of five in that vessel, if indeed they are still alive, because we simply don't know at the moment. we got confirmation from the us coast guard early this morning uk time that they were investigating these underwater noises that have been detected. that's probably the most positive news that we have had in the two days that we have been following the story. and it is an important lead. it seems they are following that up with their rov, remotely operated vehicle, operations, as i understand it at
refocused some of that surgery elsewhere so they're are turned by broadening the search area, is probably broadening to encompass the potential source of that sound. that is really clear. _ potential source of that sound. that is really clear, useful. expanding on that again, these are trophies —— rov these unmanned research vehicle, our science correspondent was talking about of course they are brilliant and effective because they move pretty slowly. and that means they take a long time and time is they take a long time and time is the one thing that we do not have here. . , , ., the one thing that we do not have here. . , i. .. ., the one thing that we do not have here. . , i. ., , here. equally you cannot rush in the deep ocean- — here. equally you cannot rush in the deep ocean- he _ here. equally you cannot rush in the deep ocean. he was _ here. equally you cannot rush in the deep ocean. he was talking - here. equally you cannot rush in the deep ocean. he was talking about . here. equally you cannot rush in the i deep ocean. he was talking about the fact that they are not at the capacity to lift the submersible but what they can do is they can attach lines. they have been waiting for the submersibles to come online,
almost atypical thing to expect, they would have got on very well, these characters —— almost a typical thing. that made the day a lot worse. ~ u, thing. that made the day a lot worse. ~ ., ~ thing. that made the day a lot worse. ., ~ ., thing. that made the day a lot worse, ~ u, ., " ., ., thing. that made the day a lot worse. ~ ., ~ ., ., ,. . worse. we can talk to our science correspondent. _ worse. we can talk to our science correspondent. hearing _ worse. we can talk to our science correspondent. hearing some - worse. we can talk to our science correspondent. hearing some of. worse. we can talk to our science i correspondent. hearing some of the details about the search. in terms of potentially where the submersible is, we do not have any confirmation, and it could be on the surface? but most likely on the sea deck. we have a lot of questions, _ most likely on the sea deck. we have a lot of questions, that _ most likely on the sea deck. we have a lot of questions, that is _ most likely on the sea deck. we have a lot of questions, that is all - most likely on the sea deck. we have a lot of questions, that is all we - a lot of questions, that is all we have at the moment, a lot of questions are not many answers. we heard that contact was lost about one hour and 45 minutes into the dive and people who are experts in the field so that is insufficient time for a vessel at the dive rate they operate at to have got down to 4000 metres, the depth of titanic,