Welsh Water, the only not-for-profit utility company in England and Wales, has launched a new self-certification programme which means that contractors will be able to self-certify their own new water connection works, rather than getting them inspected by Welsh Water.
The new Water Industry Approved Plumber (WIAPS) qualification will therefore eliminate the need for trench inspections by Welsh Water, speeding up the process of getting a new water connection and also improving health and safety on site as trenches will not need to be left open ready for inspection.
The initiative was launched at the company’s Developer Forums which are a key element of Welsh Water’s programme of engagement with housing and property developers. Approximately 70 property developers and social housing providers attended Welsh Water’s developer customer forums in Chester and Cardiff which involved updates on key customer priority topics.
Another key topic covered was explaining how Welsh Water is working hard with other stakeholders to identify if there is any way it can help to unlock the hold on new developments in areas where there are rivers in Special Areas of Conservation. The company is trying to identify sustainable short and long-term solutions to prevent proposed new developments increasing phosphate levels in those rivers. The forum also looked at changes in charges to developer customers from April 2023, and how to manage sustainable drainage on development sites.
Feedback on the forum was positive, with 100% of attendees rating it as ‘good’ or ‘excellent’.
Ian Wyatt, Director of Business Customer Services at Welsh Water said: "We're proud of our strong track record when it comes to engaging with our developer customers. It was great to launch our new self-certify initiative which should speed the process of getting a new water connection up further for developers. We'd like to thank all of those who attended and made the forums a success."
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