Coca Cola European Partners (CCEP) has been granted a self-supply licence to supply its own water and wastewater services.
It is the fourth company in England to be granted a self-supply licence by Ofwat, following brewer Greene King, hospitality firm Whitbread and brewery and pub retailer Marston’s.
CCEP is a manufacturer of soft drinks and producer of mineral waters and other bottled waters.
Among the products made by CCEP in Great Britain are Coca Cola, Fanta, Sprite, Schweppes and Capri Sun.
In its application, the company said having a self-supply licence will give it a chance to “take more control” over its own water use, as well as allowing it to deal directly with the suppliers, and “build on the success” of its water programme.
CCEP has entered a partnership agreement with Waterscan. The consultancy will take on the role and responsibilities for the retail functions including market transactions, data validation, bi-lateral communications, and the management of planned and unplanned events.
Neil Pendle, managing director of Waterscan told Utility Week: “We are delighted Coca Cola European Partners has received their self-supply licence and excited to welcome them to the growing number of organisations benefiting from this approach to water supply.
“It’s going to be very interesting working with such a large player in the manufacturing and drinks industry and assisting them with their aim to ensure water is sourced responsibly and used efficiently.”
Ofwat granted Coca Cola the licence on 6 March and it came into effect the following day.
Blackpool Council has also applied to Ofwat for a water and sewerage licence with retail authorisation. If granted it will become the first local authority to manage its own water supply.
Ofwat is currently considering an overhaul of the self-supply process, to make it simpler for businesses considering it as an option.
The regulator said the process could be “better tailored” to reflect the differences in the information the regulator does and does not need for self-supply licences.
The open water market launched in April 2017 and it’s the largest of its kind in the world. It allows eligible companies and other organisations to self-supply and manage their own water retail services, instead of having to use a separate water retailer.