Our investment plan will enhance resilience, secure water supplies for the future, and ensure a sustainable future. Our plan includes exciting major projects, including investing in the construction of a new reservoir at Cheddar in Bristol, and the development of water grid to connect strategic reservoirs in the south west. We will continue to develop drought-resistant infrastructure, reduce leakage on the network and at households. We will tackle pollution at every beach by 2030, five years ahead of target. These projects are designed to ensure we adapt to changing climate conditions, meet the needs of communities, and support housing and growth.

We are dedicated to protecting the environment and improving water quality. Our plans include reducing the use of storm overflows, achieving the lowest in sector pollution levels with zero ‘serious’ pollutions, enhancing wastewater treatment processes, and investing in green infrastructure projects. These efforts will help us meet and exceed Ofwat's environmental standards.

We have a comprehensive plan to reduce storm overflow spills, which includes upgrading our sewer systems and increasing storage capacity. We aim to meet the new mandatory targets across all overflows by 2040 – a decade ahead of govt mandates, with significant reductions within the next five years -as we look to address spills at all beaches by 2030.

We are committed to transparency and accountability. We have robust monitoring and evaluation systems to track our progress and make necessary adjustments. We regularly publish performance reports, engage with communities and stakeholders, and maintain open communication with our customers.

Innovation and technology are at the heart of our strategy. We are exploring the use of smart meters, AI-driven analytics, and other cutting-edge technologies to improve operational efficiency, enhance customer service, and support our environmental goals.

The proposed bill increases will fund essential investments in our infrastructure and services. These investments are crucial for improving water quality, reducing pollution, enhancing customer service, and ensuring the resilience of our water supply in the face of climate change.

To fund some of the investment, we will be raising funds from investors. By attracting investment, we can spread the cost of these essential improvements over a longer period, keeping bills lower for customers. This will mean we can make necessary upgrades now while enabling customers to pay for them gradually.

Investors are allowed a fair return on their investment. This is included in the bills we collect from customers. The level of returns is set by Ofwat, and is similar to the level when savings are deposited in a bank account.

We are developing four new water supply schemes equivalent to 70 million litres per day. This includes developing both the Mendips Quarry and Poole Harbour regional supply schemes and developing and commencing construction of the new Cheddar 2 reservoir . This is in addition to the substantial new water resources currently being developed, such as the South Cornwall desalination plant. We are also taking action to reduce demand, including reducing leakage to less than 10% on our pipes.

We are committed to delivering nature-based solutions. We already are active in over 80% of drinking water catchments and we will assess 100% of storm overflow solutions using our ‘Green First’ Framework – so that nature-based solutions are considered from the outset. We aim to use a blend of nature-based and engineering solutions, coupled with comprehensive water monitoring and sampling programme, to rebuild trust in our communities. For example, we will be creating more reed beds to reduce storm overflow usages, restoring peatlands to capture carbon, and expanding our Upstream Thinking programme to deliver 146,500 hectares of land improvement in order to improve raw water quality.

We want everyone in the south west to feel confident about the water at their favourite beaches and to know we are serious about reducing the use of storm overflows. WaterFit Live details investment that we are making to reduce overflow spills across the region’s coastline by 2025. It also gives customers and visitors live information about our region’s bathing beaches and storm overflow operation. We do not publish other potential pollution risks at present as feedback from stakeholders supported focusing on the impact of our network, rather than the complexity of other pollution factors on rivers and seas. Information for your local area can be found on using WaterFit Live.