I appreciate the problems faced by controllers in the towers at these busy airports, but why don't they give an unoffical observation?
I know they are, in some cases, some distance from the actual runway, but using the good old "Unofficial Observation, Pilot of preceding 737 reports runway surface as flooded" (etc) might help.
Otherwise, yes. It is the airfield operators responsibility to report on its satte, and a controller is right worried in these litigious times.
Personally, I think it is piss poor that HAL/GAL seem more worried about the declared landing rate.