Welsh Water to give customers a say on future priorities

Welsh Water manages 16,777 miles of water mains

Welsh Water will ask its three million customers which spending to prioritise but keep bills affordable.

The not-for-profit firm said it wanted people to help shape how it tackles long-term challenges to 2050.

This includes issues such as reacting to volatile weather patterns, climate change, population change and transforming its Victorian-era water and sewer networks.

Last year, the company's first-ever survey attracted 12,000 responses.

The company, the only not-for-profit water firm in Wales and England, launches its Have Your Say campaign this week.

Customers across Wales, Herefordshire and parts of Deeside will be asked to rank in order how it should prioritise issues facing those areas over the next few decades.

Welsh Water manages 22,369 miles of sewers and spends £7m a year unblocking them due to people dumping waste

They include:

• Better water quality

• Working with nature for cleaner water

• Making water supply more reliable

• Making things better for customers who are let down most often

• Reducing flooding and risk of pollution

• Cleaner beaches and rivers

• Helping people who struggle to pay their bills

• Giving more back to communities

The results will feed into its Welsh Water 2050 consultation and the business plan it puts forward to industry regulator, Ofwat, on how it plans to improve services and keep bills lower from 2020-2025.

Chief executive Chris Jones said: "We have a responsibility to make sure the business and our networks are strong and resilient in the future for the benefit of our customers.

"Have Your Say is a unique chance for our customers to shape not only how we prioritise investment and improve our network over the next few years, but for decades to come."