Northumbrian Water

Parent company:         Northumbrian Water Group Plc

Regulated utility:        Northumbrian Water Ltd

Ownership:                Public Limited Company

The ownership of Northumbrian Water has changed significantly since privatisation. For some years it was part of the French Suez group that incorporated Lyonnaise des Eaux called Ondeo. Then Northumbrian Water returned to the London stock exchange as a plc

As well as water and wastewater supply in the North East, the company owns Essex and Suffolk Water. The Group works in two other related areas, water and waste water contracts and technical and consultancy services.

Northumbrian Water is fortunate to have plenty of water with the huge Kelder reservoir originally built for British Steel that is now under utilised. The business is suffering from the decline of major manufacturing in the NE and hence reduced water demand. It is the only UK water company to be suffering in this way.

Essex and Suffolk Water, which supplies water only to 1.8 million customers, is in a very different business situation with demand for water rising due to housing growth and supply insufficient to meet demand in severe drought conditions. Its currently investing in extending Abberton reservoir and one of the world's largest reed bed schemes for disposal of water treatment sludge at Hanningfield in Essex.

The new Chief Executive Heidi Mottram has outlined five strategic themes of customer, competitiveness, people, environment and communities and a vision of being a national leader in the provision of sustainable water and wastewater services. An early task will be to improve the operational performance as Northumbrian Water is near the bottom of the Ofwat league table.