5 years, 5 pledges Summary of our Business Plan for 2020 - 2025 5 pledges for 2020 - 2025 Contents Our Business Plan will improve our service to Foreword 3 you. We’ve made five pledges, supported by Your water services today 4 25 targets, that will deliver what you have told us is most important. Our plan for the future 5

Excellent service, What matters to you 6 High quality water whenever and all day, every day Pledge 1 however you need it We’ll provide you with high quality water all day, every day 7-8 We’ll provide you with the highest quality We’ll provide the best service we can to our water and reduce the chance of supply customers and housing developers in our interruptions. We’ll cut the number of area and if you need to contact us we’ll do Pledge 2 mains bursts and soften the water we all we can to resolve your issue first time. We’ll provide your service at a fair price and supply where we need to. offer help when you need it 9-10

Pledge 3 Support a thriving Fair prices and help We’ll provide you with a service that is fit now when you need it environment we can and for the future 11-12 all rely upon Pledge 4 We’ll help more of you who are struggling We’ll help you use less water so more We’ll provide excellent service whenever and financially and make sure we know who remains in our rivers and aquifers and we’ll however you need it 13-14 needs extra assistance from us, particularly improve the rivers that are the source of if water supplies are interrupted. We’ll make our water. We’ll enhance the biodiversity of sure our support schemes are helpful and our sites, cut our greenhouse gas emissions Pledge 5 you know about them. and strive not to cause pollution. We’ll support a thriving environment we can all rely upon 15-16

A service that is fit To deliver our five pledges we need to be 17 now and for the future Contact details 18 How much will it cost? We’ll reduce leaks from our pipes and yours Water bills will fall each and invest in new and improved pipelines to year between 2020 and reduce the chance of your supply being cut 2025. The average bill off. We’ll make sure that our water sources will be cut from are working as they should and avoid the £194 in 2019/20 need for severe restrictions on water use if to £164 in 2024/25. a drought occurs.

1 seswater.co.uk seswater.co.uk 2 Water plays a role in all our lives. It’s an essential service and one that we Your water services today are proud to deliver to our customers and communities. We supply high quality people in parts of , drinking water to more than , and Our Business Plan for 2020 to 2025 has one simple objective – 730,000 south London to deliver more of what matters to you. It was built around your Sutton priorities through an extensive engagement programme and has led to us making five pledges to improve our service. Purley Cobham 85% We have considered how the world around with great service and it’s my job to make of our water comes from us is changing and made sure that our plan sure they have the tools to do that. underground sources is fit for the future. From climate change However, successful delivery of this plan beneath the North Downs and population growth to smart technology is not entirely in our hands. Water is a – over the next five years we will transform precious resource and we live in an area M25 our service and how we deliver it to you. where it’s coming under increasing pressure It’s now our job to deliver on our because of the changing climate and higher Redhill commitments and we set out how we’ll do it demand. We all need to use water wisely M23 in this document. By doing this we’ll not only and we’re committed to helping you do Edenbridge 15% provide you with a great service, but we’ll this by providing information, support and is abstracted from Horley contribute more to society and play our part in incentives. the River Eden and delivering the five goals of the Public Interest We can also all do our bit to look out for stored in Bough Commitment that has been made by all the those who are most vulnerable in our English water companies. Beech reservoir communities so they can get extra help if near Edenbridge Key to delivering our plan are our people, they need it. We’ll work in partnership with many of whom live in your communities and you, so as a community, we are all playing are customers themselves. Whatever their our part and value the water we use each role, they are dedicated to providing you day a little more. Ian Cain, Chief Executive Officer, SES Water On average, each person uses 62% of our customers We have signed up to the five long-term goals which are part of 143 litres the ’s Public Interest Commitment: of water each day have a water meter 1 Triple the rate of sector-wide leakage reduction by 2030 2 Make bills affordable as a minimum for all households with water and sewerage bills no more than 5% of their disposable income by 2030 and develop a We supply 160 million strategy to end water poverty litres of water each Our network is made up of 3 Achieve net zero carbon emissions for the sector by 2030 day which can rise to eight water treatment 4 Prevent the equivalent of four billion plastic bottles ending up as waste by 2030 works, 24 pumping 5 Be the first sector to achieve 100% commitment to the Social Mobility Pledge. 225 million stations and 3,500km litres during a hot summer of pipes

3 seswater.co.uk seswater.co.uk 4 Our plan for the future What matters to you Our job is to provide a plentiful supply of clean, healthy drinking Our Business Plan has been built in partnership water every day to all our customers. To do this we need to plan with our customers to make sure what we do is ahead and anticipate future challenges and opportunities so that based on your priorities. We spoke to thousands we deliver a high-quality service that is reliable and resilient. of people and you said:

Every five years we produce a Business Get the basics right: Plan that sets out how we will improve Average water bills High-quality water is your top priority our services, upgrade our network and each year: • enhance the environment we rely upon • Reduce the number of burst pipes and interruptions to supply for our water supplies. This is our plan Invest to provide a reliable and resilient service now and in for 2020 to 2025. Over the five years of • 2019/20: £194 the future this plan we will spend £200 million to keep running our day-to-day operations • Serious pollution is unacceptable 2020/21: £178 and invest £40 million in improving our • Reduce leakage levels service. We will pay for our plan with money Bills should be fair and provide value for money from bills, alongside investment from our 2021/22: £174 • shareholders and some borrowing. • Keep a local call centre. The average bill for our customers will fall 2022/23: £171 each year from 2020, so by 2025 you’ll Go further in some areas: pay around 50 pence per day, making our service more affordable for all. 2023/24: £167 • Provide more help to those in financial hardship • Embrace new technology wherever possible 2024/25: £164 • Help people take control of their water usage Your money will be spent on the following • Work with schools to help the next generation value their activities: water supply 5p • Innovate to develop resilient and sustainable supplies Energy 17p • Be future-focused to address issues like climate change. Capital Performance expenditure commitments This has led to us making the five pledges we will deliver We have 25 targets between 2020 and 2025. 10p or ‘performance Other operating commitments’ to deliver. costs Some are common across Our pledges all water companies and others are unique to us as they reflect our customers’ priorities. Some have a financial penalty if we fail to High quality water Service at a fair price A service that is Excellent service, Support a thriving 6p meet them and an all day, every day and offer help when fit now and for whenever and however environment we can Financing 8p outperformance payment you need it the future you need it all rely upon Employees if we exceed them. We will report our progress every 4p year in our Annual Report Tax, rates & licences and on our website.

5 seswater.co.uk seswater.co.uk 6 Our pledge How we’ll do it... • We’ll use new technology to check the condition of our water mains without digging up roads and other public places so we can identify which need replacing We’ll provide you with with less disruption to customers • We’ll develop ‘intelligent networks’ which use new technology and artificial intelligence high quality water all to alert us to problems more quickly and pinpoint exactly where they are so we can re- day, every day route water and keep you supplied at all times • We’ll keep the pressure in our water mains more stable through enhanced monitoring and the installation of devices that calm pressure to reduce the risk of bursts • We’ll meticulously plan routine work on our network to ensure that the quality of water We will... Our target by 2025 is: is not affected • We’ll replace more of our oldest and less reliable pipes with new ones that will last for Provide high quality water* To keep water quality at industry generations to come leading levels as measured by We’ll work with farmers and landowners in our catchments to help protect the quality the Drinking Water Inspectorate’s • of the raw water we abstract by reducing the amount of pesticides entering ground and Compliance Risk Index surface water sources • We’ll invest £8.5 million in our and Elmer Water Treatment Works to Maintain our industry leading To receive no more than one contact improve the softening capability at these sites. position of having the fewest per 2,000 customers about the taste, contacts from customers about smell and appearance of their water their water quality What can you do to help? Maintain a low number of supply To ensure no more than an average of five minutes lost per property interruptions (that are longer than Make sure that the plumbing systems, Report any suspicious activity on our pipe per year • • three hours)* fixtures and fittings in your home meet the network to us, such as hydrants being water supply regulations so that they don’t used illegally, as this can impact water Maintain a low number of To ensure there are no more than 59 risk contaminating your water supply quality and waste water burst water mains* bursts per 1,000km of water main • Always make sure you use a WaterSafe • If we carry out work in your area, let the approved plumber so that work carried water run a little before you use it as Soften water where needed to the For average calcium levels to not out in your home meets water industry sometimes it might look, smell or taste required level before supplying it exceed 80mg per litre standards different for a short while afterwards. to customers

*Common performance commitment

7 seswater.co.uk seswater.co.uk 8 Our pledge How we’ll do it... • We’ll work with organisations that are experts in this area to help us design tariffs and support options We’ll provide your service • More of our trained customer care team will be out in the community, working with at a fair price and offer local organisations to help identify people that need extra help and support • We’ll carry out regular surveys with more customers to understand how helpful our extra help when you need it services are • We’ll change our billing arrangements with some of the main housing associations in our area so that we bill their residents directly and provide any extra help they need Our target by 2025 is: • We’ll work with the industry to share data about customers who require priority services We will... with electricity and gas providers so that those that need extra help are identified and registered automatically with all their suppliers Help more customers in financial For 25,000 eligible customers to be difficulty on our Water Support Scheme which • We’ll regularly contact customers to check the details we hold on our Priority Services provides a bill discount Register and we’ll do more to promote it to others • We’ll improve our home move and new customer welcome processes, so we know which Increase the number of people on For at least 7% of our customers to properties are occupied and need to be billed be on our Priority Services Register our Priority Services Register (PSR)* • Our website translates information into different languages and provides a read aloud and to check 90% of our PSR data function to help more people access our services every two years • We’ll share occupancy data with the water companies that provide wastewater services in our area – and – to help identify properties that need Increase awareness of support for For 68% of customers to be aware of our to be billed. vulnerable customers PSR and the extra support available

Provide helpful support for For 80% of customers to feel that the vulnerable customers extra services we offer are helpful What can you do to help? Deliver value for money For no more than 6% of our customers • Contact us if you are struggling to pay • If you don’t want to contact us directly to feel that we do not offer good value your bill and you think you might be speak to Citizens Advice or another for money eligible for extra financial support expert support group who will help you • If your personal circumstances change and • Tell us what you think about the help we Reduce the number of void To ensure that connected properties you need some extra help with any aspect offer and whether it meets your needs properties – those that are that are shown as vacant so not billed of our service, please let us know so we Let us know if you are moving to a new connected but not charged only account for 2.2% of all properties can give you the support that you need • house so that we can keep our records up *Common performance commitment • Talk to your relatives and friends and let to date. them know about the extra help we can offer

9 seswater.co.uk seswater.co.uk 1012 Our pledge How we’ll do it... • The technology we use to make our network more ‘intelligent’ will help us find and fix leaks more quickly We’ll provide you with • We’ll identify our leakiest water mains and replace them with new ones made of a service that is fit now material that is less likely to leak • We’ll improve how we manage the pressure inside our water mains, so leaks are less and for the future likely to occur and when they do less water is lost • We’ll offer more help to customers to repair leaks Sutton on their supply pipes Langley Park Our target by 2025 is: Treatment Works Reservoir We will... Kenley • We’ll invest £6 million Treatment Works to lay new, or improve Reduce the risk of supply failures For 100% of properties to be able to existing pipelines Nork Overview of be supplied by more than one of our Reservoir between some of our our network treatment works resilience key treatment works and schemes pumping stations so that To reduce the amount of water that is we can move more water Further reduce our level of leakage* lost each day from our network and around our area and Treatment Works Burgh Heath your supply pipes by 15% complete our network Reservoir Key resilience scheme Scheme already complete Our work to reduce Manage the impact of a severe For no customer to be at risk of • Headley Scheme to be completed by 2025 drought* severe supply restrictions such as leakage and lower Reservoir Work at pumping stations/ standpipes or water rationing during household water use Margery treatment works to be completed Reservoir a one in 200-year drought will help make us more by 2025 resilient to drought Reigate We’ll modernise the Buckland Manage unplanned outages at our For an unplanned outage to only • Pumping Station facilities and equipment Elmer treatment works* amount to 2.3% of our total peak week Treatment at our sites to reduce the production capacity Works risk of breakdowns Outwood Reservoir Treatment Works & Pumping Station *Common performance commitment • Our £7 million investment at Godstone Water Treatment Works Edenbridge will help make sure that the site can produce all Blindley Heath the water it should. Pumping Station

What can you do to help?

• Check for leaks on your supply pipe • Keep your eyes peeled for leaks when and internal plumbing by taking a meter you’re out and about and report them reading before you go to bed and when to us you get up in the morning – if it’s changed Take notice of any early dry weather it might mean you have a leak • warnings and use water wisely to reduce • Contact us if you think you have a leak the need for restrictions. and we’ll come and carry out a survey and if needed, we’ll repair your supply pipe free of charge

11 seswater.co.uk seswater.co.uk 1412 Our pledge How we’ll do it... • We’ll continue to invest in digital technology, including a new billing system, that puts you in control of your own account so you can pay your bill, manage your We’ll provide excellent payment plan, monitor your consumption and change your details online service whenever and • We’ll improve our processes so that we can resolve more queries first time, every time • We’ll notify you in advance if we need to turn your water off to carry out work and keep however you need it you updated during emergencies • We’ll keep our customer call centre in the area that we serve to provide a truly local service We will... Our target by 2025 is: • We’ll continue to invest in our people, so they always provide you with excellent service • We’ll develop our ‘voice of the customer’ programme so that we are regularly gathering Deliver customer satisfaction To achieve upper quartile in the insight from you to improve our service (C-MeX)* industry league table • We’ll improve the service we offer to developers by responding more quickly to applications and tailoring our service to meet their individual needs. Deliver developer satisfaction To achieve upper quartile in the (D-MeX)* industry league table

Reduce the number of times For 90% of contacts to be resolved customers have to contact us first time What can you do to help? about the same issue • Keep your personal details up to date know what we are doing well and where so that we can keep in contact with you, we need to improve *Common performance commitment particularly if there is an emergency • Use our digital channels where you can so • Provide feedback – good or bad – about managing your account is quicker the service you receive from us, so we and easier.

13 seswater.co.uk seswater.co.uk 14 Our pledge How we’ll do it... • We’ll install 130,000 free water meters, many of which will be smart so you can track how much you use We’ll support a thriving • We’ll help you use less water by providing home visits and installing water saving devices environment we can • We’ll carry out more water efficiency campaigns and work with partners in the local all rely upon community • We’ll develop a new education centre at our Bough Beech Reservoir and Treatment Works so we can extend our current outreach programme to reach more children, young adults, businesses and community groups We will... Our target by 2025 is: • We’ll reduce our energy use by installing energy efficient technology across our business • We’ll continue to only purchase energy that has been generated from renewable sources Reduce household water usage* To reduce the average amount of • We’ll continue to replace diesel vehicles with electric ones water used by each person by 7.3% • We’ll plant more trees on our land to help reduce our carbon footprint and improve biodiversity Generate and use renewable energy to To limit our emissions to no more The roll out of ‘intelligent’ networks will help us reduce bursts which could cause pollution limit the greenhouse gas we create than 55kg CO2 per million litres of • water we supply and enable us to act more quickly to protect the environment when they do happen • We’ll limit how much water we abstract from two of our boreholes to help maintain flows Strive to never cause severe To not cause any category one or two in the River Wandle when water levels drop pollution to land, air or water pollution incidents as measured by • We’ll work with Surrey and Kent Wildlife Trusts to carry out habitat surveys and deliver the site-based plans to improve biodiversity at our Elmer, Bough Beech and Springs sites Manage raw water abstraction where To limit abstraction from two chalk • We’ll work in partnership with local environmental groups to investigate the impact of it impacts on the environment boreholes to an average of 7 million our abstractions on local rivers and improve water quality. litres or peak 12 million litres per day when groundwater is low

Make the land we own more attractive To achieve and maintain The Wildlife to a variety of plants and wildlife Trust’s Biodiversity Benchmark at What can you do to help? three of our sites • Try to use water more efficiently in your • When you come to refit your bathroom home by repairing dripping taps and leaky or kitchen, look for appliances, fixtures Improve rivers through delivery of the To deliver 24 river-based investigations or loos, taking shorter showers and doing a and fittings that use less water as these Environment Agency’s Water Industry improvement schemes full load of washing – every drop counts will help you make more savings over the National Improvement Programme (WINEP) To complete the required number of and using less hot water will help cut your long-term energy bills too schemes each year • Use a refillable water bottle and top it up • If you have a garden, install a water butt at one of the many refill points while you’re *Common performance commitment or two to capture rainwater for your out and about, rather than using plastic plants and use a watering can instead of a bottles that are damaging the environment. hose or sprinkler

15 seswater.co.uk seswater.co.uk 16 To deliver our five pledges we need to be: A respected and successful local company that has the confidence of our customers, supports our employees and acts responsibly.

We will be a socially We will help our employees responsible business and be the best they can be become more involved in our local community We’ll continue to improve through our Investors in People accreditation Find out more We’ll build a second education centre We’ll attract, develop and retain the to engage with more current and best talent Visit our website seswater.co.uk future customers We’ll create a working environment Follow us on Twitter @SESWater We’ll run our Industrial Cadets work where people thrive and do a great job experience scheme to showcase career We’ll identify the skills and expertise opportunities to young people needed for the future Join our Talk on Water We’ll continue to support WaterAid We’ll reward performance that delivers online customer community and build on the £1.5 million we have great service seswater.co.uk/talkonwater already raised We’ll continue to support more local causes through our community investment fund We will work safely and We’ll work more closely with considerately community partners to support customers in difficult circumstances We’ll ensure that the safety of our workforce is our top priority We’ll look after the physical health and We will ensure the way we mental wellbeing of our employees are owned, financed and run is clear to customers

We’ll maintain appropriate levels We will operate more of debt efficiently We’ll explain how money returned to shareholders is agreed and linked to We’ll deliver £9 millon of efficiency performance for customers and finance savings over the five-year period We’ll increase the transparency of our Board and its governance processes We’ll work smarter - not harder - by examining what we do and how we do We’ll report on executive pay and bonuses it to ensure we’re doing it in the most and how they are linked to customer efficient way service and performance

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