The largest private water corporation in the us, whose uk water subsidiary has been labelled England's worst polluter, is up for sale.

With American Water, a subsidiary of the German-based multinational rwe, up for sale, local citizens are demanding the right to bring water under local control. The residents complained that privatisation of the water facility had brought them high prices, bad service and corporate meddling in politics.

But the company has refused to negotiate with the individual communities, spread across Illinois, Kentucky and California, preferring to sell the company as a whole. The mayors of nine us cities concerned have issued a statement urging rwe to reconsider its decision.