Market Profile: The water market in and Wales to 2020 What’s powering the switch to AMP6? The current price review in the UK water sector will mark significant changes to the way in which water companies invest in and operate their assets. A new report from GWI investigates the opportunities and risks.

he conclusion of the current price UK water & sewerage companies’ wholesale water expenditure (2015-2020) review process (PR14) in December Tthis year will open a fresh window of opportunity for suppliers looking to sell into a new £40 billion spending wave in the Anglian: £1,840m Southern: £840m

UK water market. Dŵr Cymru: £1,240m Thames: £3,160m PR14 also marks an important £16,457m transition for those involved in financing WaSCs: Northumbrian: £1,363m UU: £2,379m the industry, where a lower weighted Total AMP6 water average cost of capital (WACC) has clear expenditure : £2,806m Wessex: £718m potential to affect financial returns. South West: £683m Yorkshire: £1,428m

New regulatory landscape The current periodic review has introduced Source: Company plans some substantial changes to the regulatory landscape, which will prove especially UK water & sewerage companies’ wholesale WW expenditure (2015-2020) challenging against the backdrop of pressure on tariffs: all but two of the eighteen regulated water companies in Anglian: £2,525m Southern: £2,029m England and Wales are promising that their customers’ bills will fall in real Dŵr Cymru: £1,329m Thames: £3,799m terms during the next five-year Asset £20,952m Management Plan (AMP6), which runs WaSCs: Northumbrian: £988m UU: £3,566m Total AMP6 WW from April 2015 to March 2020. expenditure Severn Trent: £2,657m Wessex: £1,131m Despite this, the switch to a total expenditure (totex) regulatory perspective, South West: £896m Yorkshire: £2,032m rather than the traditional separation of capex and opex, as well as a focus on Source: Company plans ‘outcomes’ in favour of ‘outputs’, points to a less prescriptive approach from the water and wastewater expenditure amounts being favoured as the choice of treatment to economic regulator, , and will to £37.4 billion (see charts above), clearly combat cryptosporidium. allow water companies to think in a demonstrating that these should be the On the wastewater side, total much broader way about complying with focus of suppliers selling into the market. expenditure on maintaining and enhancing European directives on water quality. This The three companies with the highest wastewater treatment standards is expected will provide challenges for the supply chain, forecast expenditure are: to accelerate over the AMP6 period, as well as wide-ranging opportunities. (£7 billion, of which 55% will be spent on going from £1.6 billion – a 42% share of wastewater, excluding the Thames expenditure in 2015/16 – to reach a peak Opportunities for technology suppliers Tunnel interface costs), (£6 spend of over £2.1 billion in 2019/20, which Although engagement with Ofwat is billion; 60% wastewater) and Severn Trent will account for almost 50% of wastewater ongoing, the water companies are planning (£5.5 billion; 51% water). spending. Ammonia and phosphorus collective totex of nearly £41 billion during Inclusive of the water-only companies reduction requirements, as well as more AMP6 (although United Utilities proposed (WoCs), the highest portion of water stringent standards for the European on 27 June to exclude around £1.1 billion expenditure in the sector will go Bathing Water Directive, which are due of previously planned AMP6 expenditure towards maintaining and improving the to come into force in 2015, are driving the from the totex modelling regime). £19.9 distribution system (49%). Along with total need to upgrade treatment processes, where billion of the industry total will go towards wholesale water expenditure, GWI expects UV will be the preferred option to add onto wholesale water, while nearly £21 billion total spend on this to peak in 2017/18, at a a conventional treatment train. will be spent on wastewater treatment little over £2 billion, with Though there will be historically less in and conveyance. For the ten water and spend peaking in 2018/19 at £1.3 billion. the way of new-build during sewerage companies (WaSCs), planned Ultraviolet disinfection is increasingly the period, major WWTP upgrades are

GWI – July 2014 www.globalwaterintel.com 39 MARKET PROFILE

taking place, notably at Thames Water’s Water & sewerage companies’ financing requirements during AMP6 Deephams WWTP, and United Utilities’ Company Refinancing (£m) Net new debt (£m) Total (£m) Davyhulme plant. 720 1,000 1,720 Optimising assets Dŵr Cymru 240 220 460 Coupled with the need to comply with 530 410 940 legislation, the regulatory pressure Severn Trent 1,300 1,300 2,600 being exerted by Ofwat will mean water 380 790 1,170 companies need to be increasingly efficient N/A N/A N/A and operate current infrastructure in the Thames Water 1,040 1,670 2,710 most optimal way. Optimising the asset base – as well United Utilities 1,100 1,500 2,600 as reducing the risk profile of assets – is a 130 350 480 key theme for AMP6. Water companies 700 580 1,280 are increasingly looking for suppliers of Source: Moody’s control and automation products, as well In order to encourage efficiencies and requirement of £14–15 billion at the WaSCs as advanced analytical services to process find the best solutions for outcomes – as to refinance existing debt that is due to roll and interpret vast swathes of data in order well as smoothing out the historical peaks over during the period, and to meet new to manage assets in real time in the most and troughs in capital spending that have capital spending obligations (see table above). effective way. Technologies to identify and dogged past AMP periods – there is a Despite rising regulatory capital values, reduce leakage will also be in demand, new trend emerging in water company a dramatic increase in indebtedness has with water companies increasingly being delivery models. As a rule, there is going contributed to a decline in credit ratings encouraged to turn away from simply to be greater collaboration between water across the sector over the last 20 years , replacing a whole pipe, and move towards companies and their Tier 1 contractors and any significant further decline could be a replacing critical sections and monitoring and equipment suppliers, with the latter potentially costly in terms of the margins at the remainder to avoid future bursts. two involved at an increasingly early stage, which companies can raise new debt. Another source of value for water sometimes through an alliance. The main With a significant proportion of the companies is expected to come from proponent of this is Thames Water, which industry’s equity in private equity hands, maintenance provision-type contractors that set up its eight2O alliance in May 2013 to water companies in England and Wales will are more oriented towards offering a service help define its business plan and open the also need to continue to demonstrate their across the whole life of a project. The ability door for all suppliers at an early stage to ability to pay dividends (the sector paid out to provide repair and maintenance services work towards best solutions. a total of £37 billion in regular and special as well as managing these activities in a dividends between 1990 and 2013). Ofwat’s cost-effective way could stand suppliers to Risks for investors suggestion of a sub-4% WACC is expected the industry in good stead. With an increase To respect the regulatory framework to reduce returns significantly, and may in capital maintenance and smaller, more and meet the targets set by Ofwat, water oblige companies to cut dividends in order numerous projects expected in AMP6, companies will continue to need to rely to maintain their current credit ratings. there could be an opportunity for players heavily on ongoing access to the wholesale Dividend payments are also a vital further down the supply chain to undertake capital markets. Against this, however, source of revenue to service debt incurred small new-builds, albeit largely those Ofwat has recommended that the industry’s at the holding company level. If the ability with a low level of complexity. Due to the WACC – its allowed rate of return – for to service high-interest debt is jeopardised, substantial overheads that Tier 1 contractors the AMP6 period between 2015 and 2020 this could potentially lead to insolvency have, on occasion there is little added value should be 3.85% (compared to the 5.1% at one or more of the holding companies, for them to undertake a small project, allowed in the AMP5 period). although this is not Ofwat’s direct concern, meaning the water companies might have In terms of overall borrowing in AMP6, given the regulatory ring-fence that exists an extra incentive to turn to Tier 2s. company business plans point to a total around the utility businesses. A further risk for the sector may arise Credit ratings history of the English and sector (1991-2013) from Ofwat’s decision to set a retail price Aaa AAA control based on an average cost to serve (ACTS). The move threatens to penalise Aa1 AA+ companies that have above-average costs to serve, as a consequence of geographical Aa2 AA and/or demographic factors. The problem is particularly acute for companies operating Aa3 AA- in large areas of urban deprivation, such as

S&P rating S&P United Utilities.

Moody’s rating Moody’s A1 A+ l The GWI Analysts’ report Water in England and Wales to 2020 – Risks and A2 A opportunities in the AMP6 investment period is available now, priced at £1,200/$2,185. A3 A- For details on how to order, contact Chantal Marchesi at cmarchesi@globalwaterintel. Baa1 BBB+ 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 com.

40 www.globalwaterintel.com GWI – July 2014