| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Water |
| Founded | 1989 |
| Headquarters | Durham, UK |
| Key people | Sir Derek Wanless, (Chairman) Heidi Mottram OBE, (Chief Executive Officer) |
| Revenue | £704.7 million (2010)[1] |
| Operating income | £275.8m (2010)[1] |
| Net income | £122.9m (2010)[1] |
| Parent | Cheung Kong Infrastructure Holdings |
| Website | www.nwg.co.uk |
Northumbrian Water Group plc (NWG) is the holding company for several companies in the water supply, sewerage and waste water industries. NWG's largest subsidiary is Northumbrian Water Limited (NWL), which is one of ten companies in England and Wales that are regulated water supply and sewerage utilities. NWL is the principal water supplier in the north-east of England, where it trades as Northumbrian Water, and also supplies water to part of eastern England, as Essex & Suffolk Water. In 2011 it was acquired by Cheung Kong Infrastructure Holdings.
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In 1974, the Northumbrian Water Authority (NWA), one of ten public sector regional water authorities created under the Water Act 1973, was formed and became responsible for sewerage and some water supply functions that had previously been split among over 80 local authorities and water undertakings.[2] Water supply to more than half the region was left in the hands of three existing statutory water companies (SWC):[3]
In 1988, the Newcastle & Gateshead and Sunderland & South Shields companies were acquired in two separate operations by Lyonnaise des Eaux et de l'Eclairage (Lyonnaise), a company listed on the Paris Bourse, for £39.1m and £35.9m respectively. In 1992, the Newcastle company was merged into the Sunderland company, which was renamed North East Water (NEW).
In 1989, Lyonnaise acquired two further SWCs, Essex Water Company and Suffolk (formerly East Anglian) Water Company and, in 1994, merged them to form Essex & Suffolk Water.
Under the Water Act 1989, as part of the UK Government's privatisation programme for the water industry, NWA's operations were transferred to a holding company, Northumbrian Water Group (NWG); the water and sewerage activities were vested in a subsidiary company, Northumbrian Water Limited (NWL), while three much smaller subsidiaries were set up to handle other activities, such as solid and liquid waste treatment and environmental consultancy. In November 1989, NWG was privatised, along with the other regional water companies established under the 1989 Act.
In 1995, Lyonnaise acquired NWG at a cost of £823m.[4] The following year, it merged NEW into NWL—which thus became responsible for all water supply in the region, except for the Hartlepool area—and in 2000 it merged Essex & Suffolk Water into NWL.
In May 2003 Suez, who had acquired Lyonnaise by merger in 1997, sold 75% of NWG to a consortium of private investors,[5] and the company was listed on the London Stock Exchange in September 2003.[6]
In 2011 it was acquired by Cheung Kong Infrastructure Holdings.[7]
During the period of its ownership by Lyonnaise/Suez, the group's businesses were owned through a holding company known, from 2001 onwards, as Ondeo Services UK plc. In preparation for the disposal of its UK water businesses, Suez set up another holding company, Atlantic Water Limited, with Ondeo Services as its wholly owned subsidiary. Atlantic Water was then bought by NWG, which was incorporated for that purpose. NWG's subsidiaries are thus owned via two intermediate holding companies. The current group structure (ownership 100% except where noted) is:
NWL is by far the largest of NWG's subsidiaries. In 2010 it accounted for £657.8m out of the Group's total revenue of £704.7m (93%), and for £268.9m out of total operating profit of £275.8m (97%), and employed 2,930 of the Group's 3,105 employees (94%).[1]
NWL holds an Appointment under the Water Act 1989 as a water and sewerage undertaker. The Appointment covers two areas:
Although the Instrument of Appointment covers both the northern and southern areas, for operational purposes NWL treats them as separate trading divisions, Northumbrian Water and Essex & Suffolk Water.
NWG is involved in two projects to build and operate waste water treatment plants in Scotland, one at Levenmouth (Caledonian Environmental) and three in Ayrshire (Ayr Environmental). It also operates a waste water treatment plant for Cork City Council, in Ireland (Northumbrian Water Projects), and is the major partner in a joint venture with the Government of Gibraltar (AquaGib) that operates the territory's dual drinking water and sea water distribution systems. Other minor activities include consultancy (SA Agrer NV) and vehicle leasing services.
NWG's present Chairman is Sir Derek Wanless, who was appointed as a non-executive director in December 2003 and became Chairman in July 2006. He was CEO of NatWest Bank until 1999 and a non-executive director at Northern Rock Bank until November 2007, when he resigned after he was criticised for his role (as chairman of the Risk Committee) in the collapse of that bank. NWG has been criticised for a lack of transparency in omitting mention of Sir Derek's involvement with Northern Rock from the profile of its chairman in its annual report.[8]
The Group's chief executive is Heidi Mottram OBE, who was appointed in April 2010.[9] She previously held senior positions in the rail industry and was appointed an OBE in the 2010 New Year honours list, for services to the rail industry.
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