Wessex Water facts for kids
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| Private company | |
| Industry | Water industry |
| Founded | 1973 |
| Headquarters | Bath, Somerset |
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Key people
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| Products | |
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Production output
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| Services | Water supply and sewerage services |
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Operating income
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Number of employees
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2,547 |
| Parent | YTL Corporation, of Malaysia |
Wessex Water Services Limited, often called Wessex Water, is a company that provides water and sewerage services. It serves a large area in South West England. This includes cities like Bristol and most of Dorset, Somerset, and Wiltshire. Parts of Gloucestershire and Hampshire are also covered.
Wessex Water supplies clean drinking water to about 1.3 million people. They deliver around 285 million litres of water every day. The company follows rules set by the Water Industry Act 1991. In 2016, about 2,100 people worked for Wessex Water.
The company is owned by YTL Corporation, a power company from Malaysia. Its main office is near Bath in Claverton Down. This building is modern and uses energy efficiently.
Contents
How Wessex Water Started
Wessex Water began as the Wessex Water Authority in 1973. It was one of ten regional water authorities created by the Water Act 1973. These authorities were later sold to private companies in 1989.
In 1998, an American company called Enron bought Wessex Water for $2.4 billion. It became part of a new company called Azurix. After Enron faced problems, Wessex Water was sold again. In 2002, YTL Power International from Malaysia bought it.
Over the years, the water authority took over the work of many smaller water companies and local government water services. These included:
- Bristol Avon River Authority
- Somerset River Authority
- Dorset Water Board
- Bournemouth and District Water Company
- Bristol Waterworks Company
Helping Customers
Wessex Water aims to provide good service to its customers. In a survey by Ofwat in 2012/13, the company scored 4.53 out of 5 for customer satisfaction. A score of 5 means 'very satisfied'.
Water Quality and Treatment
Wessex Water works hard to make sure your drinking water is safe. In 2013, over 99.9% of their drinking water met all quality standards. They also made sure that 100% of their sewage treatment met discharge rules. This means treated wastewater was released safely.
Stopping Leaks
The company also focuses on stopping water leaks. In 2011/12 and 2012/13, the amount of water lost to leaks was 69 million litres per day. This was less than the average of 73 million litres per day between 2005 and 2010.
Reducing Carbon Footprint
Wessex Water is working to reduce its impact on the environment. The amount of greenhouse gases it released was 119 kilotonnes of CO2 equivalent in 2018/19. This was a decrease from 149 kilotonnes in 2011/12 and 159 kilotonnes in 2012/13.
Reservoirs and Lakes
Wessex Water owns and manages several reservoirs. These are large artificial lakes that store water. Some of these include:
- Blashford Lakes in Hampshire
- Clatworthy Reservoir in Somerset
- Durleigh Reservoir in Somerset
- Hawkridge Reservoir in Somerset
- Otterhead Lakes in Somerset
- Sutton Bingham Reservoir in Somerset
- Tucking Mill in Somerset
Many of these reservoirs not only supply drinking water but are also used for fun activities. People can visit them for recreation and they are important places for nature and wildlife.
GENeco: Turning Waste into Energy
Wessex Water has a special company called GENeco, started in 2009. GENeco runs sewage treatment plants. It does amazing things with waste:
- It recycles waste materials.
- It creates renewable energy.
- It makes fertiliser for farms.
Bio-Bug and Bio-Buses
In 2010, GENeco launched the Bio-Bug. This was a special VW Beetle car that ran on bio-gas. This gas is made from waste treated at sewage plants. Imagine this: the waste from just 70 homes in Bristol could power the Bio-Bug for a whole year! This is based on driving 10,000 miles annually.
In 2014, the UK's first bus powered completely by human and food waste started running. This bus traveled between Bristol and Bath. Since 2019, special buses on one of Bristol's MetroBus routes use biomethane. This gas is produced at GENeco's "bioresources and renewable energy park" in Avonmouth.
