North East & Yorkshire

Yorkshire Water

 

 Yorkshire Water Review

Yorkshire Water manages the collection, treatment and distribution of water in Yorkshire.

Their responsibilities are vast and include supplying residents with around 1.24 billion litres of drinking water each day, as well as collecting; treating and disposing about one billion litres of waste water safely back into the environment.

In order to achieve this momentous task the utilities company manage more than 700 water and sewage treatment works and 120 reservoirs. Due to the vast number of works and reservoirs the company are investing money in order to maintain and upgrade the pipes and systems used so as to reduce the risk of bursts, low water pressure, incidents of discolouration, sewer flooding and odour problems. Yorkshire Water is in the process of investing £3.5 billion into the company up to 2015 which will address water quality, the environment and sewer flooding.  

As one of Yorkshire’s largest landowners a lot of the company’s land has been adapted including the creation of numerous outdoor spaces where walks, cycle and horse riding routes can be enjoyed. The company has also just launched their latest community campaign ‘Hands Up’ which encourages pupils to create sustainable gardens and allotments in primary schools across Yorkshire.

Due to the company owning approximately 28,000 hectares of Yorkshire they have a responsibility to protect and enhance biodiversity for future generations. 12,000 hectares are designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest and include 17 nature reserves. Yorkshire contains 35 UK priority habitats of national or international importance for conservation, as well as containing 173 species of national conservation importance.

 

The firm is regulated by The Office of Water Services (Ofwat), The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) and The Environment Agency (EA). The DWI monitors the water supplied to ensure it is safe to drink and meets the standards set in the Water Supply Regulations 2000. The EA is responsible for protecting and improving the environment in England and Wales. The EA decides how much water can be taken from the environment and issues the company with abstraction licences. The EA also ensures the quality of effluent we put back into rivers from our waste water treatment works is at a high enough standard.

 

The firm not only provides water to the region, they offer many additional services to clients as well. Yorkshire Water provides priority services for customers with additional needs including free services for older customers. Those with sight, hearing difficulties, a disability, serious injury, mobility issues or a serious medical condition can also receive a helping hand.

 

Partially sighted and blind customers can receive their bills in large print or Braille, and those with a serious illness or disability can be provided with bottled water in the case of interruptions to water supplies.

 

The firm is not just about supplying a great service in the present; they are concerned with innovation and delivering an impressive service in the future. The Yorkshire Water team is all eager to identify innovative ideas and new technologies which may help them to work more efficiently and effectively. Once an idea or technology has been assessed and approved, it is taken through several stages of research, development, and implementation to ensure it can be seamlessly integrated into everyday use by the business.

 

For more information about Yorkshire Water and its services, please visit: www.yorkshirewater.com.

 

 

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Roma Publications