South West Water invites customers to have their say. 

South West Water has published its business proposals for the period 2020-2025 and is inviting customers to have their say. 

A major reduction in leakage, faster response times to water supply incidents, 100% compliance with wastewater standards and significant investment to prevent pollution are among the key ‘next steps’ being outlined in the ‘WaterFuture: Proposals and Choices 2020-25’ document, which is the subject of a public consultation (closing on 30 April).

The feedback received during the consultation will be reflected in the company’s final Business Plan, which will be submitted to Ofwat (the water industry’s economic regulator) in September this year as part of the industry’s five-yearly ‘Price Review’. 

Some of the other key activities and investments outlined in the proposals include: 

• a further 15% reduction in leakage
• replacement and upgrade of key water treatment facility in Bournemouth
• investment to maintain near-perfect drinking water quality  
• further reductions in internal and external sewer flooding 
• increasing the number of people assisted through affordability and support initiatives 
• investment in ‘smart networks’ - which use advanced monitoring and control systems to help pre-empt any issues on the network
• expansion of the company’s award-winning apprenticeship scheme. 

Stephen Bird, Managing Director of South West Water said: “The proposals we have set out will deliver improvements in the areas that matter most to our customers, meet increasing legislative requirements and ensure we protect the natural environment, while keeping prices as low as possible. 

"Clearly, we must continue to invest in order to maintain and improve the water and wastewater services so critical to lives and businesses in the region while making sure we can meet future challenges such as climate change and population growth."

Customers can comment via an online survey, emailing waterfuture@southwestwater.co.uk.