Anglian Water

Anglian Water is a water company that operates in the East of England. Anglian Water is regulated under the United Kingdom Water Industry Act 1991. It came into existence in 1989 as part of the partial privatisation of the water industry. It took on the water supply, sewerage and sewage treatment responsibilities of Anglian Water Authority. The remaining functions of the authority transferred to the newly formed Environment Agency.
Supply area.
Anglian Water supplies drinking water to all or parts of Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire, North East Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire and Suffolk.
Anglian Water provides drainage and sewerage to a wider area stretching from the Humber in the north to the River Thames in the south, including the River Great Ouse and a small part of Greater London around Upminster.
Corporate information.
Anglian Water Services Ltd is a private limited company that provides the majority Anglian Water branded services and utilities and is registered in England and Wales with company number 2366656. A sister group exists including Anglian Water Property Holdings (UK) Ltd and Osprey Water Services Ltd.
Customer service.
Anglian Water came joint first in the qualitative ‘Satisfaction by company’ league table for water and sewerage companies in Ofwat's Service Incentive Mechanism Annual Report 2012/13, having ranked 4th in the same survey in 2011/12 and 15th in 2010/11
Campaigns.
Keep It Clear.
The Anglian Water "Keep It Clear" campaign aimed to reduce sewer blockages in the region caused by fats, oils, grease and unflushable items like baby wipes. The campaign also worked with community leaders to spread the word, and free sink strainers to stop food waste going the drain were also handed out. Following a seven-week trial in Peterborough blockages fell by more than 80%. The model is now being rolled out to other "hotspot" towns and cities in the region.
Drop 20.
The campaign Drop 20 was a challenge for customers to reduce their daily consumption of water by 20 litres in order to reduce the energy required to heat and deliver the water and upkeep the infrastructure. It was especially important for Anglian because of the environmental reasons but also because the region is quite dry in comparison to other areas of the country. The company commented:
"Where there’s water, there’s carbon – and quite a bit of it. Every bath, flush or glug has CO2 built into it, thanks to all the processes it takes to get it to the tap. So using less water is good news for the planet. It’s good news for us too, because it’s our job to keep supplies flowing to over 6 million customers in this dry region."
Operations.
It currently provides water for 2.6 million properties, and covers an area of 27,500 square kilometres.
In 1997 Anglian took over Hartlepool Water.
Anglian Water Leisure.
Anglian operates the reservoirs Rutland Water, Grafham Water, Alton Water, Pitsford Water, Ravensthorpe and Taverham Mill. Apart from providing water supplies, a separate leisure division has been formed to promote the use of these facilities for recreational use. Activities provided for include water sports, fishing, bird watching, cycling and walking.
Performance.
Leakage.
In 2012/13 Anglian Water's leakage rate was 4.97m3/km/day; compared to 5.26m3/km/day in 2011/12, 6.10m3/km/day in 2010/11, 5.62m3/km/day in 2009/10, 5.60m3/km/day in 2008/09 and 2007/08.
Drinking water quality.
Drinking water quality in 2012 was 99.96%, as it was in 2011, 2010, 2009 and 2007. In 2008 it was 99.98%.
Environmental record controversies.
Anglian Water states that it has a "commitment to the environment" and takes its "responsibility as a custodian of the environment very seriously." Compliance failures have, however, caused it to be described by the Environment Agency as a "repeat offender" regarding pollution. Instances include:
Carbon footprint.
The company's carbon emissions were 487,659 tonnes in 2012/13, compared to 485,273 in 2011/12, 504,026 in 2010/11, 493,702 in 2009/10, 498,115 in 2008/09 and 478,450 in 2007/08.
Health and Safety Record.
On the 18 December 2015, Anglian Water Services Limited (AWSL) was fined £400,000 with costs of £41,711 after pleading guilty to breaches of Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. Luton Crown Court heard that three workers were injured in two separate incidents at its water recycling centres in Dunstable, Bedfordshire, and Saffron Walden, Essex. The court also heard that Anglian Water Services Ltd has been at the centre of four previous prosecutions by HSE. The most recent of which were in 1997, 2004, and 2010. An improvement notice was served on AWSL following a fall from a height accident in 2007.