Annex 2
Letter to the Board Level Contacts of
Water Service Companies and Water Companies in England and Wales
from the Deputy Chief Inspector, Drinking Water Inspectorate
DWI Information Letter 2/99
FEEDBACK FROM WATER COMPANIES ON DWI PEFORMANCE
IN 1998
PURPOSE
1. The purpose of this letter is to advise
water companies of the change in arrangements for obtaining feedback
from water companies on DWI's performance in 1998 and to ask water
companies to co-operate in providing the constructive information
sought by the new arrangements.
BACKGROUND
2. For several previous years DWI has sought
companies' views on its performance, mainly on inspection with
only limited consideration of other aspects of DWI's work, by
means of a questionnaire sent at the beginning of each year in
respect of the previous year. On 1 January 1998 DWI was reorganised
into two basic groups:
— Inspection and Enforcement—dealing
with inspection, audit, enforcement and liaison with Ofwat, including
the Periodic Review; and
— Incidents and Complaints—dealing
with the investigation of incidents and complaints and prosecutions.
A liaison Inspector was also appointed for each
company.
3. With this new organisation DWI has reviewed
the way in which it obtains feedback on its performance from companies.
It decided that the existing questionnaire was no longer appropriate
because it concentrated on only part of DWI's activities and that
some companies were filling in the questionnaire mechanically
with the result that DWI did not get accurate feedback on its
performance.
NEW ARRANGEMENTS
4. I am pleased to inform you that Mr Bob
Price, an independent consultant who used to be Director of Water
Quality at Anglian Water, has been appointed by DWI to carry out
a survey of water companies to obtain feedback on DWI performance.
The purpose of the survey is to obtain constructive comments about
the performance of DWI in respect of its major activities so as
to enable DWI to continuously improve its procedures, performance
and efficiency. The survey should bring benefits to DWI and ultimately
to water companies.
5. Therefore I should be grateful for your
co-operation and participation in the survey so that both DWI
and water companies can obtain the benefits. It is important that
companies give frank and honest answers to the questions put to
them by Bob Price. I have agreed with Bob that companies' comments
will be confidential to him and that his report to DWI will be
written in such a way that the source of a particular comment
cannot be identified or inferred, with the possible exception
of feedback on liaison Inspectors when it may not be practical
to preserve anonymity.
6. Bob will be carrying out his survey by
visiting about a third of companies for face to face discussions
with appropriate personnel, including the day to day contact.
The remaining companies will be surveyed by telephone. Bob will
be writing to companies progressively in the latter part of January
and during February about the specific arrangements for individual
companies.
7. If you have any queries on this letter
please do not hesitate to contact me.
8. Copies of this letter are being sent
to Pamela Taylor, Chief Executive, Water UK; Andrew Wells, Water
Supply and Regulation Division, Department of the Environment,
Transport and Regions; and Bob Macey, Environment Division, Welsh
Office.
9. Please acknowledge receipt of this letter
using the enclosed slip and envelope.
14 February 1999
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