Yorkshire Water has announced its proposed top five goals for the future, after listening to the views of more than 18,000 customers.
The utility says its ‘Not Just Water’ strategy, launched this week, takes into account the diverse and growing population of the county and unique water needs of its customers.
It now wants to hear customers’ views on the plan which aims to tackle the economic, social and environmental issues the region is set to face.
Yorkshire’s five “big goal” areas are
- Customers
To engage with customers and develop the deepest possible understanding of their’ needs and wants, to provide a tailored and personalised service. - Water supply
Ensuring drinking water supply through innovative work on leaks, conservation, liaising with businesses on grey-water harvesting and addressing its own water use, with a view to ensuring resilience and security of supply for an estimated one million more people in the region by 2045. - Environment
Avoiding pollution and sewer flooding to capture all sewage and convert it to energy, and creating a new “green” infrastructure – including planting a million trees in the next five years to keep water out of its system – as a move towards becoming carbon positive. - Transparency
Being committed to transparency, public accountability and building trust, as reflected by its promise to release the majority of its operational and service data by 2020. - Bills
Using innovation to improve service, eradicate waste and reduce costs so no one need worry about paying their bill. It pledges: “We will not waste money.”
Director of Finance, Regulation and Markets, Liz Barber said: “Our customers have the right to know how we spend their money, how we perform, and they rightly expect higher standards of us than they would of a public-sector organisation.
“We’re going to deliver on our customers’ expectations and go further to make sure we meet the challenges of the future whilst getting the basics right, having a positive impact on Yorkshire, its environment and its people.”
The company is currently in the process of putting together its business plan for PR19, which includes meeting Ofwat’s four key requirements on resilience, affordability, innovation and customer service.
Ofwat’s chairman Jonson Cox has set out a programme of reform to bring the water sector “back in balance” and rebuild public trust.