Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water has said that its half-year results announced today confirm that its strong performance over the past six months has enabled it to deliver £123 million of investment and strong levels of service to its customers in the six months to September 2015.

The water company is planning to invest a further £184 million in its capital projects and essential infrastructure between October 2015 and April 2016. Examples of key investments over the first six months of this financial year include:

• strengthening the resilience of drinking water supplies to over 400,000 customers by connecting three new water treatment works to its network, namely Llyn Conwy, Garreglwyd and Dolbenmaen Water Treatment Works in North Wales, with the investment totalling nearly £50 million.
• reducing the risk of local sewer flooding which could adversely impact its customers and environment by starting work on a further £25 million investment programme in its innovative RainScape programme in Llanelli and Gowerton over the next five years.
• improving security of supply to around 100,000 customers in Merthyr Tydfil by investing £2.5 million in a scheme to divert a strategic water main
• safeguarding water quality issues in Hereford by investing £2 million to replace 23km of old cast iron main which can cause discoloured water
• upgrading the existing Bynea sewage pumping station in Llanelli by investing £4 million to help alleviate the risk of internal sewer flooding
• increasing the capacity of the wastewater network in the St Helen’s area of Swansea through a £1.3 million scheme that will enable it to cope with storm weather conditions.

In addition Welsh Water has confirmed plans to invest £5million from April 2016 to strengthen its drinking water supplies in Pembrokeshire following last week’s burst near Llechryd. The investment forms part of a wider £10 million scheme the company will deliver in the area.

On energy, Welsh Water said that as one of the largest energy users in Wales, it is making significant progress towards its long-term goals for reducing its carbon footprint and making its operations more sustainable. In the last six years, Welsh Water has increased the amount of energy it uses from renewable sources on its own sites from 2% to 20%.

The company has also just announced a purchase agreement for the supply of green energy from a new multi-million pound organic waste treatment centre being developed in cooperation with Kelda Water Services and operated adjacent to the company’s site in Cardiff.

It has also confirmed that it is investing £24 million in transforming the Five Fords Wastewater Treatment Works in Wrexham, North Wales, into an innovative Energy Park – the first of its kind in the industry to incorporate solar, advanced anaerobic digestion and hydro generation schemes at the site. The site will produce the equivalent energy to that used in 5,000 homes.

The latest results follows the company delivering its best overall performance last year since being set up as a not-for-profit company - with no shareholders - in 2001.

Welsh Water is the best water company in England and Wales for customer satisfaction and customer trust as measured by the UK’s Institute of Customer Service. Its Developer Services Team, who are responsible for connecting thousands of homes and business to its network every year, is also now ranked by Water UK as the best in the industry amongst the 10 water and sewerage companies in England and Wales.

Commenting on the results, Glas Cymru Chairman Robert Ayling said:

“We are pleased to report that over the last six months, Welsh Water has continued to build on last year’s success when it delivered its best overall performance since being set up in 2001 as a non-shareholder company.”

“Unlike other companies in the water industry, our unique operating model enables us to have a single-minded approach which is to achieve the highest standards at the lowest possible cost. Having made good progress in delivering against our targets on water quality, safeguarding the environment and customer service, this latest set of results show that the Glas Cymru model continues to work well for our customers.”