Dear Customer

I have pleasure in presenting Bristol Water’s 25 year vision “ Water in the future”. Click here to read the full document (PDF). Click here for Supplementary Document - Our Commitment to the Environment.

This booklet sets out our conclusions, based on customer research, on how we should address our customers’ water needs in the coming years.  We have carried out considerable analysis of a variety of options and schemes to arrive at what we believe is an optimum approach.

Customers want a safe and reliable water supply at an affordable price.  Delivering this involves balancing a range of complex conflicts in a coherent way.

Our vision is to “make affordable progress”.  This will double the current levels of maintenance and capital spending but require only modest price rises.  Our proposals would still mean the average household bill in 2035 (in today’s values) would remain below £4 per week, about a quarter higher than today.

Over the 25 year period we are reviewing, we expect to improve water quality, carry out sustainable levels of maintenance, reduce leakage significantly, build a new reservoir to cope with the expected growth in customers and improve the security of supply in the case of emergencies.  By the end of the period we expect to have almost all customers metered as a method of charging and significantly reduce our carbon footprint.  We could do more but we think it could give rise to a significant increase in affordability issues for some customers.

We ask that you consider our vision and let us have your views by February 15 2008, preferably as soon as possible.  In particular, we would like your feedback on whether we have got our priorities and views on prices in the future right.  The last page of the booklet explains how you can do this.  Alternatively to give us your feedback online, see the form below.  Thank you.

Yours sincerely

Alan Parsons
Managing Director