|
|
|
|
|
Vital Statistics
Price increase since privatisation (real terms) - 43.2%
Cost of average bill in 1997/98 - £221.52
[Rising prices]
Leakage rate in 1996/97 - 666m litres per day
[Water leakage]
Amount of water supplied daily - 2,259m litres
[Regional water supplies]
Population supplied with water - 6.8 million
Drinking water meeting required standards - 99.6%
[Drinking water]
Successful prosecutions for pollution incidents since 1989/90 - 30
[Pollution patrol]
Bathing water meeting required standards - 50%
[Bathing waters]
Number of disconnections in 1996/97 - 410
[Disconnections]
Cost of water meter installation - £65-£200
Households with water meters - 7.3%
[Water meters]
Annual salary of Water Service Managing Director in 1996/97 - not available
[Salaries at the top]
Company profits in 1996/97 - £284m
[Profiting from privatisation]
The March 1998 value of a £100 investment made at the time of privatisation - £536
[Your £100 investment]
Customers
North West Water meter installation costs are among the highest, and price increases to customers since privatisation are the third highest out of the ten companies. But the cost of the average water and sewerage bill in this region is around £10 less than the national average.
Environment
North West Water was the worst offender in the leakage tables in 1992/93, leaking around 943m litres per day according to figures from Ofwat. Although it has made much progress since that low point, it is still ranked second from bottom just above Thames Water. The company has been set a target of 515m litres per day for 1998/99 by Ofwat, which means a reduction of nearly 23%. The region also has the worst record on sewer flooding and the highest number of beaches that do not comply with European Union rules on bathing water quality. Half of the region’s 34 beaches fall below standard, contaminated with an unacceptable level of bacteria, which comes from sewage and chemical pollution.
Business
North West Water’s parent company is United Utilities. The salary figure for North West Water’s Managing Director, Harry Croft, is not available, but the company does have the highest paid chairman out of all the combined water and sewerage companies. United Utilities Chairman, Sir Desmond Pitcher, was paid £326,300 in 1997.
Related Programmes
"Close Up North" special edition
BBC 2, Thursday 26th March 7.30 pm
A comparison of the water companies carried out by the BBC shows that North West Water customers have the third-highest bills, but do they get value for money?
Half the region's thirty-four beaches failed European standards for bathing water quality last year. The region has the worst levels of lead in drinking water, primarily because of the age of property. Although its leakage record has improved significantly, it's still the second-worst of all the privatised water companies.
The company is endeavouring to improve its record but says it's not easy because of underinvestment in the early part of the century. It believes if its rate of improvement was compared with other companies it would fare better. Close Up North examines North West Water's record since privatisation and asks who's benefitted most - the customer or the shareholder?
Producer: Paul Craven
Reporter: Gary Keown
All BBC local radio stations will have special coverage of water issues in their breakfast programmes every day this week - and there'll be phone-in programmes when water industry bosses will be put on the spot by their customers. Tune in to your local BBC station to find out more details of their coverage of the BBC's Water Week.
|
|
