Partner Article

Water company looks to the future

Plans for the service Northumbrian Water delivers to its customers in the North East have been set out in a document published yesterday. ‘Looking to the Future’, described by the company as their latest ‘direction statement’, is offering customers the opportunity to comment on its proposals.

John Cuthbert, Managing Director, said: “We aim to use this consultation process to ensure our future plans meet not only UK and EU legislative requirements, but also the priorities of our customers, the customer watchdog CCWater and other key stakeholders. The company has come a long way since the water industry was privatised nearly 20 years ago. The quality of our drinking water is the best it has ever been and we have contributed to significant improvements in river and bathing water quality.

“There have been major changes in the world around us in that time - technology has transformed the way we live and work - 20 years ago who would have imagined the impact the internet or mobile phone would have on our lives?”

Northumbrian Water says that it has tried to identify the major challenges to be faced in the future, along with proposals to overcome them. Among these the company lists will more frequent and more intense storms from the changing climate.

Mr Cuthbert said: “By 2009-10 we expect water and sewerage bills in the North East to be the lowest in the country. We believe it should be possible to maintain low bills while meeting the challenges of improved services and environmental enhancements.”

Northumbrian Water’s ‘Looking to the Future’ document is available to view online at www.nwl.co.uk.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .