Earlier this month, our board visited Preston to discuss with water companies from the north of England some of the issues they have been grappling with.
Flooding was high on the agenda as we explored the devastating impact the wettest December on record had had on communities. Staff from United Utilities, Yorkshire Water and Northumbrian Water were in the eye of the storm as they battled to protect infrastructure and safeguard essential services.
For the most part they succeeded, and I was impressed with how some other regional water companies had rallied to their aid. But the companies have also learned valuable lessons for future storms and floods.
Companies faced difficulties tracking down some vulnerable customers who had been forced to evacuate their homes so they could get important assistance or information to them. In future, agencies hope to share information about the movement of people more effectively. Of course “customer vulnerability” is a complex issue in itself and companies must understand better who may be “vulnerable” when confronted with a whole host of circumstances, not just flooding.
Companies also have to make operational changes to some treatment plants and other assets where power supplies or control panels fell foul of the rising flood waters. We hope to see evidence that these improvements lead to even less disruption for water customers in the event of future flooding.
Alan Lovell, chair, Consumer Council for Water