Regulations and Environment

As well as ensuring our business knows – and responds to – what’s happening in the wider world, it’s down to our Regulatory team to make sure South West Water and our wholesalers are compliant with all relevant legislation and obligations. Working with our regulator Ofwat, this team will ensure customers continue to get the best from us as we work towards the 2024 price review (PR24).

Benchmarking South West Water against other water companies, we look to our Research and Policy team to review our existing policies and inform future South West Water policy initiatives too. As well as working with the Consumer Council for Water to make sure our customers’ voices are heard, this team is also heavily involved in our WaterShare+ programme.

Not only do they monitor the performance of our existing assets, it’s also down to our Asset Management team to develop multi-million pound asset management plans which will deliver our future asset needs across the business. They play a vital role in ensuring our water and wastewater services are healthy and resilient for our customers and consumers – while making sure South West Water is responsive to challenges such as climate change and population growth.

We look to our Performance and Innovation team to inspire us to do things differently. As well as providing guidance to teams across our business, they also contribute to Ofwat’s £200million Innovation Fund – aimed at growing the water sector’s capacity to innovate. What’s more, in partnership with the University of Exeter, the team has established a pioneering new collaborative research centre, designed to address some of the most pressing environmental challenges facing the water sector.

Balancing operational and environmental needs, it’s down to our Natural Resources team to protect the natural environment that South West Water depends on. As well as providing technical services, direction and guidance to others across the business, our Natural Resources team works with external partners – including landowners and farmers – to improve water quality across the South West. It’s also down to them to deliver our Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP) commitments and other investment programmes.

From demand forecasting to educating our customers, liaising with the Environment Agency to updating our long-term water resources management and drought plans – it’s down to our Water Resources team to deliver the strategic management of our water resources network. Taking into account the impact of population growth and climate change, this team ensures we’ll be able to continue to deliver water to our customers for many years to come.