The report shows that customers believe this impartiality and their legitimacy could be undermined if the CCG chairs are directly funded by a water company.
CCW said customers supported the use of a levy or pooled funding from the water industry as an alternative to chairs being funded by individual companies in an effort to safeguard their independence.
The water watchdog also stated that customers wanted a formal recruitment process for CCGs, including a structured interview process. Furthermore, they said that members of CCGs should be required to refresh their membership regularly to enable new introductions to the group.
The report emphasised the customer desire for transparency, and recommended that CCGs publish the minutes of meetings as well as feedback from the CCGs themselves.
Additionally, customers stated they wanted the customer voice recognised through formal research or consultations, and for them to have a direct say in the proposals of their respective water companies.
CCWater’s chief executive Tony Smith said: “Every CCG must be seen to have legitimacy in the eyes of customers. But that will only ever be achieved with an independent chair who customers can trust to be completely impartial.”
The water watchdog will now begin working with water companies currently without CCGs to ensure that they meet the standards expected by customers.