Anglian Water confidently led the way on March 30th for the industry’s first ‘Your Water Your Say’ session. The new events, required and designed by water regulator Ofwat and the consumer watchdog CCW, are an opportunity for customers, communities, and wider stakeholders to ask their water company questions that matter to them in an open forum.
Despite the furore in the media and the public outrage over untreated sewage in our rivers and seas, it was an under-whelming well-mannered affair. Not the rough and tumble of a political interview, or the passionate exchange of a town hall meeting - more of a polite conversation at an industry event.
The independent Chair, Kevin Johnson, did a good job of steering the meeting but seemed disappointed by the lack of controversy, while the company was doubtless relieved.
The opening remarks, every word crafted to within an inch of its existence, felt like a long list of terms and conditions, risking switching off all but the hardiest of listeners before the event even began. Something for CCW and regulator Ofwat, who designed this, to reconsider to set the right tone in future sessions.
Anglian Water’s senior team had a backdrop that any TV station would be proud of, with glossy water photos and a chat show layout. They gave a professional show (even though the six representatives present exceeded the Ofwat/CCW guidance of four speakers). They largely managed to answer the questions, though could have been held more to account where they didn't.
There were just over 100 people online at the highest count, and a few lonely looking souls in two Anglian provided physical rooms in different regions - available for those without digital access. It was unclear if the company had chosen their face-to-face venues in their areas with the highest levels of digital exclusion and vulnerability with easy access, and what adaptations they had offered to those with additional needs for the session.
A quick scan of names online suggested that at least twenty participants were from Ofwat, CCW, or other water companies, lurking in the shadows to learn from Anglian Water’s experience. With names not recorded we may never know the true numbers of real-life customers and community stakeholders in the audience (this seems like a missed opportunity). It is debateable if this is a reasonable showing for a public meeting in the current climate.
While there is no expectation from Ofwat or CCW that these sessions should be representative and truly inclusive of their area, it was unclear why the company and Ofwat/CCW had decided on a 2.30pm start time on a Thursday afternoon before Easter – when those with a job are working, students are at college, people are away for holidays or picking kids up from school; not a particularly accessible time for vast sways of the population.
Anglian’s introductory consumer and community centric presentation was clear, relatively snappy (as far as these industry things can be) and well-presented by CEO Peter Simpson. But I wondered why this presentation wasn’t shared in advance and what difference that might have made to people’s confidence to ask questions.
There was time for about four or five questions on each of the designated sections, broadly: customer service priorities, long-term outcomes, environment, and affordability. Rather than being deluged with questions and complaints from an angry mob in our low trust environment as many feared, the audience seemed rather shy, with the Chair having to rely on one or two organisations or individuals, and pre-submitted questions to keep the conversation going.
Overall, it was a positive, well-run event, and we applaud Anglian for leading the way. The sessions provided consumer groups and stakeholders with a genuine opportunity to air questions in a public forum including concerns that aren’t necessarily high priorities for Ofwat - such as health concerns around polio in water, lead in pipes and forever chemicals, and in my case the gap in thinking in terms of understanding future consumer vulnerability need and how that will impact resilience and customer service.
There were of course the expected questions around sewage, financial help/affordability, pollution, and the environment, though these were unemotively delivered; water sharing across regions got an airing as did a question about why it takes so long to build reservoirs and the importance of skills.
The biggest lesson learned seemed to be that these sessions are only going to be as good as they are advertised. There is an important role here for local challenge groups to make that happen. With seemingly no young people asking questions, or local councillors, or businesses and a notable absence of vocal outdoor swimming groups or residents associations in this session, I was left wondering who the company advertised this session to and how? Did they really go ‘to the widest range of customers and stakeholders,’ as suggested in the Ofwat/CCW Guidance or to people they already knew?
Some of course might suggest that Anglian Water engages so well day to day, people didn't feel the need to attend or participate - it was the only company to get an A grade for engagement in Ofwat’s initial assessment of business plans for PR19. Or perhaps a truly representative crowd were hiding cameras off.
There seems little incentive for water companies to publicise these events. The unknown public bring great uncertainty and risk for companies - or so some believe, at an event under the regulator's glare. Disappointingly, some companies are reportedly considering only advertising their session directly to a sample of customers – such behaviour misses the spirit of these sessions.
Since Anglian, Welsh Water has also held their 'Your Water Your Say' session and CCW and Ofwat must be breathing a sigh of relief that things are going swimmingly (unlike for many open water bathers in our rivers and seas).
As a ‘wider stakeholder’, I'm looking forward to seeing all the questions that were submitted before and after and how the company will address the issues raised. It will of course be important for neither the water companies nor the regulator to put undue weight on these one-off unrepresentative sessions with the public. That said it should be heartening for anyone who participates that their questions are recorded, responded to, and that the regulator in particular is watching and has heard them.
The next session is Seven Trent on 17th April. To register or find out when your company’s ‘Your Water Your Say’ session is visit CCW’s website.
Zoe McLeod is Sustainability First Policy Director, independent Chair of South East Water's Customer Challenge Group and an elected local councillor in South West London.