Welsh Water, the only not-for-profit utility company in England and Wales, continued to provide uninterrupted support for all types of new development and major infrastructure projects throughout the COVID19 pandemic, including during the last year, in what has been an exceptionally busy period.
The Developer Services team has the important responsibility to work with all of its developer customers, small or large, to enable new connections to its water and wastewater networks so that the new homes and businesses are provided with essential and safe supply of clean water and wastewater services well into the future.
During 2021-22 it:
- Connected over 6,000 new homes to its water and wastewater networks
- Responded to 6826 planning application consultations and positively supported over 99% of the new homes proposed within them
- Installed or adopted over 42,000m of new water mains
- Installed or adopted over 51,000m of new sewers and lateral drains
- Safely facilitated over 2,000 home extension/improvement applications to build close or over our public sewers, including those to support property adaptations to improve the living standards for those with a personal disability
In addition, it provided expert advice and new water/wastewater infrastructure services to all the strategic infrastructure projects across its operational area, whether this be a new highway project, major employment site or regeneration scheme. At any one time this equates to an estimated investment of £50m by the developers and Welsh Water in new water/wastewater infrastructure to support the delivery of these critical projects.
Ian Wyatt, Business Customer Services Director at Welsh Water said: “I’m proud that the team continues to provide the vital support to all forms of economic development across our area, which has been imperative and a real challenge throughout the period of the pandemic.
“As a company, we play a pivotal role ensuring that new homes and businesses receive essential water and wastewater infrastructure and services and in doing so ensuring that existing communities and the environment are protected. We continue to invest and innovate in the services we provide to our developer customers and a critical part of this is our six-monthly engagement events that we host across our operating area.”