NI Water delivered near record levels of water quality compliance and record levels of wastewater compliance, during 2016/17, according to its its annual report for 2016/17 ‘Delivering What Matters’.
The level of wastewater compliance in 2016 was at a record level of 98.89% and water compliance at a near record level of 99.86%.
The water company outperformed the target for overall level of service delivered to customers by 3%, achieving an Overall Performance Assessment (OPA) score of 228 against a 2016/17 target of 221.
However, NI Water failed to meet its leakage targets - leakage outturn figure for 2016/17 was 163.44 million litres per day (Ml/d) against a target of 161Ml/d. Increased widespread leakage was experienced across the whole network during the summer months coupled with a significant increase in burst mains during October and November 2016.
“This created an extremely challenging situation from which we have failed to recover to meet our target, despite additional resources having been deployed,” the report says. The utility will now look to deploy additional resources over 2017/18 in order to achieve the targeted reduction in leakage.
NI Water is also targeting energy efficiencies and the use of renewable sources of energy, including the commissioning of 55 solar installations across its network.
Other upcoming business initiatives include:
• further embedding Performance hubs which have been set up across the business as a means of managing business performance on a more proactive basis to review performance, monitor actions to get performance back on track, sustain good performance or pursue outperformance;
• establishing a new Capital Programme Management Office (CPMO) to support delivery of the capital investment programme in closer collaboration with suppliers; and
• developing its Commercial Centre of Excellence to help deliver sourcing and demand efficiencies
The report says that following a successful pilot, NI Water is also implementing ‘Instrumentation, Control, Automation and Telemetry’ technology to control its Service Reservoirs. The implementation programme will roll out the technology to over 200 sites during the PC15 period.
During 2016/17, NI Water also developed its first Digital Strategy with the aim of proactively harnessing digital technology to improve the service experience offered to customers, employees and stakeholders, and to drive efficiencies across the business.
NI Water CEO, Sara Venning commented:
“Recognising the important role NI Water plays in supporting health, safeguarding the environment and promoting a strong regional economy, I’m delighted to bring forward this report setting out another strong year of business performance.
“We have completed the second year of our six year business plan, a strong ambitious plan designed to bring services in Northern Ireland in line with best in class across the industry. We continue to deliver near record levels of customer service at a lower cost, whilst protecting the environment.”
“Over the last decade, we have been leading the challenge on doing more for customers with fewer resources. We have transformed the delivery of water and wastewater services, delivering record levels of service for our customers and reaching levels of efficiency on par with some of the leading water companies in England and Wales.”
Profit before tax was £102.9m in 2016/17, while operating profit (revenue less day-to-day operating costs) was £166.4m. Revenue was £422.4m for the year to 31 March 2017 (2016: £413.5m).
Domestic consumers are not charged directly for water and sewerage services. As a result, NI Water is dependent on Government subsidy for around 67% of its total revenue. The subsidy covers the full domestic charge and the arrangement will remain in place in 2017/18.
In 2016/17 NI Water received a subsidy of £284.4m from the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) in lieu of deferred domestic charges. The water company bills non-domestic customers which generated £73.8m of revenue in 2016/17 and also received road drainage charges of £20.6m from DfI. Revenue from other forms of income came to £43.6m.
Day-to-day running costs for the utility totalled £256.8m - including staff, power, rates, hired and contracted services up from £251m in 2016. The increase primarily resulted from higher depreciation and higher hired and contracted service costs, offset in part by lower power costs.
NI Water is one of the largest users of electricity in Northern Ireland and spent around £27m on power in 2016/17.
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