South Staffs Water and Cambridge Water, both part of the South Staffordshire Plc group of companies, have launched a new mobile app to help customers manage their water account.

The app is available on Android and Apple devices and enables customers to:

• submit meter readings or apply for a water meter
• view and pay bills
• report a leak
• view any water issues

The app has been developed by an in-house development team in conjunction with customers.

Customer groups involved in the app development included a group of visually impaired customers, who checked the app for accessibility issues including colour schemes, and the Young Innovators’ Panel, made up of learners from schools across the South Staffs region, who checked the app to ensure that it is quick and easy to use.

Managing Director at both companies Phil Newland, commented:

“Our customers have told us that they want a variety of ways to contact us and to manage their accounts. So, in response to our customers, our in-house development team has built our app and have worked with members of our Young Innovators’ Panel to ensure that it offers the functionality and simplicity they need.”

South Staffs Water supplies drinking water to approximately 1.3m people and approximately 35,000 commercial customers over 1,500 square km in the West Midlands, South Staffordshire, South Derbyshire, North Warwickshire and North Worcestershire areas. Following the merger with Cambridge Water in April 2013, it now also provides water to 319,000 people living in an area of 730 square kilometres around the city of Cambridge.

Both businesses operate under a single water licence.