Heidi Mottram, the new Chief Executive Officer at Northumbrian Water who took up her position last week, has said the company would be looking to make “efficiency savings.”
However, Ms. Mottram said she had no “particular agenda in mind” other than the need to do things better. The company had to think about the absolute best possible service it could give a customer – which was where it needed to be innovative and think about doing things differently.
Heidi Mottram is the first woman to take charge of one of the UK’s leading water and waste treatment companies. In her previous position at Northern Rail reliability rates improved from 83% to 95% under her leadership.
Northumbrian Water was recently the subject of speculation about a possible takeover bid. In February the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan Board which owns approximately 26.7 per cent. of the business, said it had no plans to make an offer for the company following reports in the press. A representative from the Canadian pension plan sits on the Northumbrian board.
With the UK government demanding a 50% reduction in storm overflow spills by 2029, the era of reactive management is over. Speaking in the House of Commons on 21 July 2025, then environment secretary Steve Reed said, “This Government will cut water companies’ sewage pollution in half by the end of the decade.”
ERG, the leading supplier of odour control systems and industrial gas cleaning & thermal systems, has been awarded the coveted King’s Award for Enterprise.
Welsh Water’s new artificial intelligence-driven tool, ORAI, has been shortlisted for three categories at the prestigious British Data Awards 2026 – underscoring the company’s commitment to using cutting-edge technology to deliver better outcome for customers.
Barhale has completed work on two separate Rapid Action Taskforce Spills projects it is carrying out for Severn Trent.
Hear how Scottish Water has completed its £235 million Ayrshire Glasgow Resilience Project - customers across Greater Glasgow, Ayrshire and East Renfrewshire will now benefit from a more secure and resilient water supply.
Hear how United Utilities is accelerating its investment to reduce spills from storm overflows across the Northwest.
Find out more about the remarkable career opportunities on offer at WSP - scroll down to watch the inspirational video.