United Utilities’ maintenance team has won the ‘Best Leadership for Reliability Program’ award at the International Maintenance Conference.
The Uptime Awards, hosted by Reliabilityweb.com, took place in Florida where judges praised the North West water company’s approach to maintenance.
The team is responsible for maintaining more than 500,000 assets across the North West and judges were impressed by its strategy and culture for managing them effectively.
As well as working to a number of ISOs, the team has invested heavily in personal development with nine certified as reliability leaders and two others certified as maintenance and reliability professionals.
Speaking about the award, Phil White, Chief Maintenance Officer at United Utilities, said:
“We’re really proud of the work we’re doing to advance reliability and asset management at United Utilities. The team is dedicated to delivering a huge programme of cultural change which includes a new maintenance process and a shift towards proactive work. It’s brilliant to have been recognised externally for setting the foundations for this activity, and I’m really happy to share it with the team.”
Phil White delivered a presentation at the conference on the maintenance sourcing, refurbishment and inventory activity the company has been delivering as part of its transformation activity since 2019.
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.”
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