Wessex Water and Bristol Water, two of the South West’s leading water providers, have officially announced the launch of a new partnership, water2business; dedicated to helping companies from across the region manage their water supply better and tackle the ‘fundamental changes’ that will be bought about when the market reforms in less than a year.

Now, the business to business service provider is urging companies and organisations to ensure they are abreast of legislative changes that could lead to significant savings and an improved service once market opening comes into force.

Scheduled for April 2017, the changes will give business customers the opportunity to choose their water supplier unrestricted by region; but experts in the industry have warned that a lack of awareness and understanding could also leave some businesses at risk.

David Seymour, Head of Business Development for water2business, said: “The Water Act 2014 will give companies across the region better access to a greater number of water and sewerage services; as well as more freedom of choice about how to meet their individual needs.

“This provides an ideal opportunity to take stock now and seek advice from experts who will be able to help identify any problems or unnecessary expenditure such as leaky taps, poor pipe maintenance and inappropriate tariffs – all of which can be done by carrying out a simple audit.

“It often surprises people to learn that the average company in the region spends between 1% and 2% of its annual turnover on water and that a water audit can identify solutions leading up to 40% in cost savings.

“Certainly from our perspective we’ve been working to ensure that all of our clients are aware of what is ahead and supporting them to put in place plans to ensure that there is minimal disruption, maximum business continuity and costs savings wherever possible.

“Those yet to put the wheels in motion might want to start considering what options are available and start benchmarking current water usage and expenditure.

“As a business, it is important to analyse which services are a priority- lowering costs will always be a key factor but other aspects such as multi site billing, sustainability and environmental performance, consistent customer service and security of supply could be just as important.”

Water2business is a joint venture between Wessex Water and Bristol Water, and the partnership combines the complementary skills of both companies to deliver the most comprehensive water and waste water solution for business customers across the South West.

Last year the company worked with Cribbs Causeway Shopping Centre in Bristol; carrying out a full audit of all of the centre’s tenants in order to identify leaks before carrying out repairs.

The audit resulted in a 22% reduction in water consumption during the first year, as well as an annual saving of £10k in trade effluent costs. It has also prompted the business to continue to investigate additional water saving methods that are aligned to the centre’s corporate social responsibility commitments.

Other regional clients who have benefited from significant cost savings as a result of water2business’ focus on water efficiency and continuing monitoring and analysis, have included Poole’s Haven Hotel; Dorset’s Shell Bay and the Bristol Port Company.

The team of experts for water2business is based at 21e Somerset Square Nailsea in Bristol.

www.water2business.co.uk

info@water2business.co.uk