WWT ROUND TABLE 2009
Sponsored by
How can water companies deliver
a sustainable water strategy that
engages customers?
Bob Baty Good morning, everybody, and
welcome. Thank you very much indeed for
finding the time to be here this morning to
discuss yet another of the challenges facing
the UK water industry as a whole. Last year
the forum looked at climate change, which
raised a number of issues that will be relevant
again today. These will be expanded upon
this morning although in some respects,
however, given the title of the subject we are
discussing, from a slightly different point of
view. I would highlight the “different point of
view” because, to some extent, with what we
are discussing this morning, that point of view
is quite important.
As an industry we tend to be very close
to the challenges that we face. We discuss
them in all sorts of forums, we examine
them and we seek to understand them and
to develop our thinking about how best to
address them. We are able to do that
because we have the base knowledge and
understanding of the issues that interface
within the industry.
The real question that I always have in
my mind is, just how much knowledge
does the average customer have about the
sort of challenges we are discussing, and Bob Baty: What do our customers know?
with which we want their help, so that they
can make an informed decision and an when results are published. Most people industry’s inability to manage it effectively.
informed contribution? That is one of the big accept that the availability of oil is a big That is really where many customers have
issues. When we are discussing this today, issue for the future, not least because they started with the adverse publicity that has
we should try to keep in mind that we may see it as a finite resource. They see that it been around from time to time, although
know this, but do our customers know it, can actually come to an end, but I am not that has changed a great deal with recent
because that is an important feature. sure how prominent that is in people’s events in terms of both shortages and,
I often ask myself how much knowledge, minds, and it is certainly not in my mind perhaps more recently, the effects of
and what is the quality of the knowledge to when I am in the filling station, filling up my flooding. I think that has raised the
which I have access, in regard to many other car, and all I can think about is how much consciousness in people’s minds of the
scarce resources. The price and availability of tax the government is getting out of it. potential impact that the environmental
petrol, for example, is perhaps one of the When we are talking about water, we changes are beginning to have on our day-
issues – they are faced with the same sort need to bear in mind our view of it from to-day activities. This, alone, provides a
of challenge, but what do I know about it? I that other perspective. For many years, springboard for the industry to engage with
know what I learn from the media and what water has been seen by many as an infinite, customers, as it has been trying to do, but
politicians might say, and from the City self-renewing resource, compromised by the on a much broader front.
It is not just the understandable, special
“I think we all know the adage that we did not inherit
interest groups, but it is the average,
responsible citizen customer who would
the Earth, but we are safeguarding it for our children” realistically and positively support a rationale
June 2009 Round Table 5