About our businesses - South West Water
KEY RELATIONSHIPS
REGULATORS AND OTHERS
Relationships with regulators, Government and its agencies, customer representative organisations and its customers are central to South West Water's operations. The company maintains a continuing dialogue with Ofwat, the Environment Agency and the Drinking Water Inspectorate. It contributes to national policy on developing issues through its membership of Water UK, the industry trade body.
The company works with the Consumer Council for Water to ensure that customers' issues and concerns are addressed and a full understanding of the company's activities is maintained.
PROCUREMENT AND SUPPLIERS
South West Water's procurement strategy is focussed on partnering and strategic alliances with 60 key suppliers who account for the large majority of expenditure. Regular meetings are held to manage performance, encourage sustainable business activity and to identify and deliver continuous improvement opportunities for reducing costs further whilst improving performance and service levels.
The company has successfully completed a programme of tendering strategic contracts in preparation for the K5 period and has established a new 'H5O' Delivery Alliance structure for delivery of its 2010-15 capital programme. This will enable the company to work closely with suppliers, particularly small and medium-sized businesses across the South West, ensuring value for money for customers and supporting the regional economy.
No supplier (revenue) accounts for more than 5% of revenue and South West Water sources all its purchases from competitive markets. South West Water's electricity supplies have been secured to 2014 through recently negotiated fixed price contracts.