Communities rely on us not only for essential water and wastewater services, but also as a long-term regional business, employer, investor and partner.

We want the work we do to create wider value for the places we serve, supporting local economies, good causes, education, skills and community resilience.

 

Our community focus includes listening locally, spending responsibly, supporting schools and young people, creating social value through investment, and giving colleagues opportunities to volunteer their time and skills. By working with communities and partners, we can better understand local priorities and help deliver benefits beyond our day-to-day services.

Listening locally through Local Action

Through Local Action, we bring conversations into the heart of the communities we serve. These face-to-face events give customers, local stakeholders and community partners the opportunity to talk to us about the issues that matter to them, ask questions about our plans and help shape how we respond to local priorities.

Since its launch, we have delivered 36 Local Action events, engaging with 1,392 attendees through face-to-face community engagement activity, including 259 stakeholders and 1,134 customers. This work helps us build trust, improve understanding and ensure communities have a stronger voice in shaping our approach.

Supporting local economies

Supporting local businesses is an important part of how we contribute to our regions. In 2025/26, we spent 60.88p in every £1 with suppliers based in our operating areas, ahead of our target of 60p. This helps retain economic value locally while supporting regional growth and resilience.

Our responsible procurement framework and Supplier Charter set clear expectations for ethical business practices, sustainability and social value across our supply chain. We also engage with suppliers through initiatives such as Meet the Buyer events, supplier development programmes and educational resources, helping local businesses understand and access procurement opportunities.

Preserving water heritage

We also preserve and promote the industrial heritage of the water industry through our support for historic museum sites across our operating regions.

Our heritage sites – including Ryhope Engines Museum, Tees Cottage Pumping Station and the Museum of Power at Langford – help preserve the history of water and wastewater services while providing educational, cultural and tourism value for local communities.

Together, these sites welcome tens of thousands of visitors each year, helping people understand the engineering, innovation and community role behind essential water services.

Creating opportunities for young people

Supporting future generations is an important part of how we create long-term value in our communities. We engage with schools and educational settings across our regions through outreach, careers and STEM activity, helping young people better understand water, sustainability, engineering and future career opportunities.

The Innovation Festival also creates opportunities for young people, schools, charities and community partners to take part in innovation activity. In 2025, the Young Citizens Work Experience Festival ran alongside the main event,giving Year 10 students practical insight into future careers and employability skills. We also work with delivery partners to link education and engagement to live investment schemes, helping young people see how infrastructure, environmental improvement and STEM careers connect in practice.