United Utilities Group plc (UU), the United Kingdom's largest listed

water company The water industry provides drinking water and wastewater services (including sewage treatment) to residential, commercial, and industrial sectors of the economy. Typically public utilities operate water supply networks. The water industry does ...

, was founded in 1995 as a result of the merger of

North West Water North West Water was a water supply, sewage disposal and sewage treatment company serving North West England. It was established as the North West Water Authority in 1973, and became North West Water plc in 1989, as part of the privatisation of t ...

and NORWEB. The group manages the regulated water and waste water network in North West England, which includes

Cumbria Cumbria ( ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in North West England, bordering Scotland. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local government, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. C ...

Greater Manchester Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county and combined authority area in North West England, with a population of 2.8 million; comprising ten metropolitan boroughs: Manchester, Salford, Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tam ...

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancash ...

Merseyside Merseyside ( ) is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in North West England, with a population of 1.38 million. It encompasses both banks of the Mersey Estuary and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wi ...

, most of Cheshire and a small area of

Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands, England. It includes much of the Peak District National Park, the southern end of the Pennine range of hills and part of the National Forest. It borders Greater Manchester to the nor ...

, which have a combined population of more than seven million. The United Utilities Group was the electricity

distribution network operator A distribution network operator (DNO), also known as a distribution system operator (DSO), is the operator of the electric power distribution system which delivers electricity to most end users. Each country may have many local distribution networ ...

for the North West until 2010, when its electricity subsidiary was sold to

Electricity North West Electricity North West is a British electricity distribution network operator, responsible for the administration and maintenance of the network, that distributes electricity to the North West of England excluding Merseyside and parts of Cheshi ...

. United Utilities' headquarters are in

Warrington Warrington () is a town and unparished area in the borough of the same name in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, on the banks of the River Mersey. It is east of Liverpool, and west of Manchester. The population in 2019 was estimat ...

, England, and the company has more than 5,000 direct employees. Its shares are listed on the

London Stock Exchange London Stock Exchange (LSE) is a stock exchange in the City of London, England, United Kingdom. , the total market value of all companies trading on LSE was £3.9 trillion. Its current premises are situated in Paternoster Square close to St P ...

and it is a constituent the FTSE 100 Index. North West England is the wettest region in England, and

water hardness Hard water is water that has high mineral content (in contrast with "soft water"). Hard water is formed when water percolates through deposits of limestone, chalk or gypsum, which are largely made up of calcium and magnesium carbonates, bicarbo ...

across the region is soft to very soft.

History

In 1989 the

Authority, which was responsible for the provision of water to the North West of England, was privatised and became North West Water Group plc. In 1995, the company acquired NORWEB plc, the then regional electricity distributor and supplier, and on 1 April 1996 changed its name to United Utilities plc. In January 1998, United Utilities listed on the

New York Stock Exchange The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE, nicknamed "The Big Board") is an American stock exchange in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed ...

, but delisted its shares in May 2007. In 2000, the North West Water and NORWEB branding was phased out in favour of United Utilities, the rebranding was completed by the end of 2001. The company sold some of the businesses it had acquired, its telecoms business, Your Communications was sold in February 2006, and

Vertex Vertex, vertices or vertexes may refer to: Science and technology Mathematics and computer science *Vertex (geometry), a point where two or more curves, lines, or edges meet * Vertex (computer graphics), a data structure that describes the positio ...

in March 2007. In December 2007, United Utilities sold its electricity distribution network assets to North West Electricity Networks (Jersey) Limited, a joint venture between funds run by

Colonial First State Colonial First State (CFS), is an Australian wealth management group that provides investment, superannuation and retirement products to individuals and corporate and superannuation fund investors. History The company was established in 1988 ...

and

JPMorgan Chase JPMorgan Chase & Co. is an American multinational investment bank and financial services holding company headquartered in New York City and incorporated in Delaware. As of 2022, JPMorgan Chase is the largest bank in the United States, the ...

became the licensed Distribution Network Operator for the north west of England as a result. United Utilities operated and maintained the regional electricity network on behalf of Electricity North West until 2010, when Electricity North West bought the electricity network operations and maintenance arm from United Utilities to establish one Group. In October 2011, United Utilities was selected as the preferred bidder by

Severn Trent Water Severn Trent plc is a water company based in Coventry, England. It supplies 4.6 million households and business across the Midlands and Wales. It is traded on the London Stock Exchange and a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. Severn Trent, the ...

to purchase the

Lake Vyrnwy , image = Lakevyrnwysummer.jpg , caption = View overlooking Lake Vyrnwy showing the full extent of the lake , image_bathymetry = , pushpin_map=Wales Powys , caption_bathymetry = , location = Wales , c ...

estate for £11 million. United Utilities later withdrew from the bidding process. In February 2012, United Utilities proposed a national water pipeline linking water sources in Manchester to London. In April 2016, United Utilities received an 18-year loan of £500m from The European Investment Bank to support investment across the North West. In May 2016, the

Competition & Markets Authority The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is the competition regulator in United Kingdom. It is a non-ministerial government department in the United Kingdom, responsible for strengthening business competition and preventing and reducing anti-com ...

granted United Utilities and

approval to create a new joint venture company in preparation for the water market deregulation. In June 2016, United Utilities and Severn Trent Water formed Water Plus, in readiness to provide the retail services for their non-household customers. In May 2019, the company announced the appointment of Sir David Higgins as a non-executive director and to succeed Dr John McAdam as chairman.

Operations

United Utilities currently supplies water to a population of 7.3 million people across the North West. The company also manages 78,000 kilometres of wastewater pipes which take sewage from 7.3 million people for treatment at nearly 600 wastewater treatment works. It also operates 37 renewable energy facilities.

Reservoirs

Sign next to Turton and Entwistle Reservoir - geograph

United Utilities owns some 166 water supply reservoirs, various river and stream intakes, as well as lake abstractions and numerous groundwater sources, to supply the region. Some reservoirs operated by the company are outside the North West such as the

Longdendale Chain The Longdendale Chain is a sequence of six reservoirs on the River Etherow in the Longdendale Valley, in northern Derbyshire. They were constructed between 1848 and 1884 to a design by John Frederick Bateman to supply the growing population of ...

, which were constructed by the

Manchester Corporation Manchester City Council is the local authority for Manchester, a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. Manchester is the sixth largest city in England by population. Its city council is composed of 96 councillors, three f ...

in the 19th century, and remain networked to the North West's water supply. The principal reservoirs are as follows: Cumbria *

Haweswater Reservoir Haweswater is a reservoir in the valley of Mardale, Cumbria in the Lake District, England. Work to raise the height of the original natural lake was started in 1929. It was controversially dammed after the UK Parliament passed a Private Ac ...

Thirlmere Thirlmere is a reservoir in the Borough of Allerdale in Cumbria and the English Lake District. The Helvellyn ridge lies to the east of Thirlmere. To the west of Thirlmere are a number of fells; for instance, Armboth Fell and Raven Crag both ...

Cheshire *

Lamaload Reservoir Lamaload Reservoir is a reservoir near Rainow, Cheshire, England (). It lies in the South West Peak within the Peak District National Park, to the west of the Goyt Valley, and is fed by the River Dean. It serves Macclesfield, which lies to its wes ...

Macclesfield Forest Macclesfield Forest is an area of woodland, predominantly conifer plantation, located around south east of Macclesfield in the civil parish of Macclesfield Forest and Wildboarclough, in Cheshire, England. The existing woodland is the last su ...

Derbyshire *

Woodhead Reservoir Woodhead reservoir is a man-made lake near the hamlet of Woodhead in Longdendale in north Derbyshire. It was constructed by John Frederick Bateman between 1847 and June 1877 as part of the Longdendale chain to supply water from the River Ethero ...

Torside Reservoir Torside Reservoir is the largest man-made lake in Longdendale in north Derbyshire. It was constructed by John Frederick Bateman between April 1849 and July 1864 as part of the Longdendale chain to supply water from the River Etherow to the urban ...

** Bottoms Reservoir **

Arnfield Reservoir Arnfield Reservoir is a man-made lake in Longdendale in north Derbyshire. It was constructed in 1854 as part of the Longdendale chain to supply water from the River Etherow to the urban areas of Greater Manchester.Hurst Reservoir * Bottoms Reservoir * Errwood Reservoir *

Fernilee Reservoir Fernilee Reservoir is a drinking-water reservoir fed by the River Goyt in the Peak District National Park, within the county of Derbyshire and very close to the boundary with Cheshire. The village of Fernliee sits at the north end of the reser ...

Greater Manchester * Belmont Reservoir *

High Rid Reservoir High Rid Reservoir is a small, stone-sided reservoir close to Lostock Junction. It lies three miles to the west of Bolton town centre, Greater Manchester. Public uses As of August 2020, the site at High Rid is now operated by Lancashire Outdoo ...

Rumworth Lodge Reservoir Rumworth Lodge Reservoir is a large shallow reservoir in Bolton, Greater Manchester, England. It is located to the west of Bolton's A58 (Beaumont Road) and to the South-East of Lostock railway station. The water from the reservoir is not used ...

Gorton Reservoirs Gorton Reservoirs are two reservoirs on the boundary of Tameside and Manchester in the North West of England. They are Gorton Upper Reservoir and Gorton Lower Reservoir. The upper and lower sections are separated by a road supported by a stone bri ...

* Heaton Park Reservoir *

Dovestone Reservoir Dovestone Reservoir lies at the convergence of the valleys of the Greenfield and Chew Brooks above the village of Greenfield, on Saddleworth Moor in Greater Manchester, England. The reservoir is on the western edge of the Peak District Nation ...

Chew Reservoir Chew Reservoir is a reservoir at the head of the Chew Valley in the Peak District National Park in Greater Manchester, England. The reservoir scheme in the Greenfield and Chew Valleys by the Ashton Stalybridge and Dukinfield Waterworks Joint Com ...

Greenfield Reservoir Greenfield Reservoir is a reservoir in the Saddleworth parish of the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham in Greater Manchester, in the English Peak District. Lying within the historic boundaries of the West Riding of Yorkshire, above the village of G ...

* Strinesdale Reservoir *

Yeoman Hey Reservoir Yeoman Hey Reservoir is a reservoir in the English Peak District. On its margin is a commemorative stone laid by the King of Tonga in 1981. The reservoir is within the boundaries of Greater Manchester but was formerly in the West Riding of Yorksh ...

Ashworth Moor Reservoir Ashworth Moor Reservoir is an upland water supply reservoir amongst the Pennines in Greater Manchester, England close to the A680 road between Rochdale and Edenfield Edenfield is a village within the Rossendale borough of Lancashire, England ...

Blackstone Edge Reservoir Blackstone Edge Reservoir is a List of reservoirs and dams in the United Kingdom, reservoir in the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England. It is close to Blackstone Edge, from which it takes its name, and the border with C ...

Kitcliffe Reservoir Kitcliffe Reservoir is a reservoir in Piethorne Valley in between Ogden and Piethorne Reservoirs in the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, within Greater Manchester, England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It sh ...

Norman Hill Reservoir Norman Hill Reservoir is a reservoir in the Piethorne Valley in the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, within Greater Manchester, England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its ...

* Ogden Reservoir *

Piethorne Reservoir Piethorne Reservoir is the largest of several List of reservoirs and dams in the United Kingdom, reservoirs in the Piethorne Valley above Newhey, by Milnrow, in the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England. It was built betwee ...

Rooden Reservoir Rooden Reservoir is a reservoir in the Piethorne Valley in the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, within Greater Manchester, England. It is close to Denshaw in the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham The Metropolitan Borough of Oldham is a metr ...

Watergrove Reservoir Watergrove Reservoir is a reservoir close to Wardle in the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, within Greater Manchester, England. Rochdale Corporation chose Watergrove as a suitable site to build a large reservoir largely to a prolonged drought ...

Audenshaw Reservoirs The Audenshaw Reservoirs were constructed between 1877 and 1882 by Manchester Corporation. They are located between Audenshaw and Denton, in Greater Manchester, England. Their construction was overseen by John Frederick Bateman. Part of the villa ...

Godley Reservoir The Godley Reservoir is a reservoir in Godley, Greater Manchester, Godley, Hyde, Greater Manchester, Hyde, Greater Manchester. It was completed in 1851, as a critical part of the Longdendale Chain project that brings fresh water to Manchester. T ...

* Worthington Lakes Lancashire *The Rivington Chain. **

Anglezarke Reservoir Anglezarke Reservoir is the largest reservoir in the Rivington chain to the west of Anglezarke in Lancashire, England. Anglezarke Reservoir has three embankments: the Charnock Embankment, the longest, is long and high, the Knowsley Embankmen ...

Upper Rivington Reservoir Upper Rivington Reservoir is situated centrally in the Rivington chain of reservoirs, on the West Pennine Moors in Lancashire, England, between Rivington and Anglezarke. The engineer for the Rivington reservoirs was Thomas Hawksley and constr ...

Lower Rivington Reservoir Lower Rivington Reservoir is at the end of the Rivington chain of reservoirs in Lancashire, England, with Upper Rivington Reservoir to the north, and Rivington Water Treatment Works to the south. The Rivington chain primarily supplies 70,000 hou ...

** Yarrow Reservoir **

Upper Roddlesworth Reservoir Upper Roddlesworth Reservoir is a reservoir on the River Roddlesworth near Abbey Village in Lancashire, England. The reservoir is close to Lower Roddlesworth Reservoir and Rake Brook Reservoir and sits within dense woodland. History The con ...

Lower Roddlesworth Reservoir Lower Roddlesworth Reservoir is a reservoir on the River Roddlesworth close to Abbey Village in Lancashire, England. The reservoir is close to Upper Roddlesworth Reservoir and Rake Brook Reservoir, situated within thick forest. It was constru ...

Rake Brook Reservoir Rake Brook Reservoir is a reservoir fed by two streams, including the eponymous Rake Brook, a tributary of the River Roddlesworth in Lancashire, England. The reservoir is adjacent to the two Roddlesworth Reservoirs. It was constructed in the 18 ...

High Bullough Reservoir High Bullough Reservoir is the oldest of all the reservoirs in the Rivington chain, having been authorised by an Act of Parliament obtained in 1846 and completed in 1850. It was built for Chorley Waterworks by the engineer John Frederick Bateman ...

* Clowbridge *Cowm Reservoir *

Haslingden Grane Haslingden Grane is the glaciated upper portion of the valley of the River Ogden, which lies west of Haslingden and is in the north east section of the West Pennine Moors. To the north is Oswaldtwistle Moor, and to the south Musbury Heights. It wa ...

* Stocks Reservoir *

Wayoh Reservoir Wayoh Reservoir is a water reservoir in the town of Edgworth, Lancashire, England. It was completed on 28 April 1876 to supply water to Bolton Bolton (, locally ) is a large town in Greater Manchester in North West England, formerly ...

Service problems

Watermain breaks

In May 2010, a burst water main cut 15,000 customers in Moreton, Leasowe and Wallasey off water for 3 days. In November 2019, a burst pipe in a local treatment works disrupted water supply in the CH 41/42/43/63 areas and bottled water supply points were set up.

Water contamination

On 7 August 2015, cryptosporidium, a water borne parasite that can cause diarrhoea and vomiting, had been detected in the water supply to Blackpool, Chorley, Fylde, Preston,

South Ribble South Ribble is a borough in the county of Lancashire, England. Its council is based in Leyland. The population, at the 2011 Census, was 109,057. Notable towns and villages include Walton le Dale, Bamber Bridge, Leyland and Penwortham. It ...

and Wyre affecting more than 300,000 customers. No cases of cryptosporidiosis were reported and by introducing of

ultra-violet Ultraviolet (UV) is a form of electromagnetic radiation with wavelength from 10 nm (with a corresponding frequency around 30 PHz) to 400 nm (750 THz), shorter than that of visible light, but longer than X-rays. UV radiatio ...

treatment units "boil water" notices could be lifted in some areas. Initial Investigations by United Utilities and the

Drinking Water Inspectorate The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) is a section of Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) set up to regulate the public water supply companies in England and Wales. Based in Whitehall, it produces an annual report showing th ...

had not identified the cause. Later the root cause was identified as run-off water from agricultural land following severe rainfall. On 6 September 2015, the water supply was declared free from contamination, and restrictions were lifted. United Utilities was subsequently fined £300,000 at Preston Crown Court on 10 October 2017 for supplying water unfit for human consumption, with an additional £150,000 costs. It paid around £18 million in compensation to its customers. United Utilities held a number of seminars following this event to outline steps it had taken following the incident and share lessons with other water companies.

References

External links

*
Yahoo profile
{{Authority control Water companies of England Companies based in Warrington Companies listed on the London Stock Exchange Electric power distribution network operators in the United Kingdom Companies formerly listed on the New York Stock Exchange Dual-listed companies 1995 establishments in England