Delivering what matters - NI Water update Newry, Mourne and Down District Council on local investment
27 November 2018 9:47
NI Water attended Newry, Mourne and Down Council on Monday 26 November, to update representatives on investment in the area worth over £11.5 million this year.
Ronan Larkin, Director of Finance and Regulation at NI Water says, “Every aspect of life in Northern Ireland relies on the water and wastewater services we provide. Our infrastructure is central to the growth of the economy. However, we still need to ensure we have the funding to do this and we need the Council to work with us to help make that happen. Although we are a regulated utility we have not been immune from public expenditure cuts and uncertainty over funding.”
As NI Water develops its investment plan for the next price control period (2021 – 2027) the investment needed to address wastewater capacity issues is expected to exceed £0.5bn, as part of an overall expenditure profile which is likely to approach £2bn.
Steve Blockwell, Head of Investment at NI Water says: ‘‘We are proud to outline investment worth some £11.5 million in the Newry, Mourne and Down Council area over the current financial year. This represents part of a cumulative capital investment in the area of £43.6 million since 2015.
The opportunity was also taken to update the Council on NI Water’s ongoing ‘Wrap Up Warm’ campaign, which is intended to encourage customers to insulate pipes and water fittings in their properties ahead of the winter.
Dr Blockwell continues, “NI Water takes its obligations to its stakeholders seriously, and we welcome the opportunity to meet with councillors and officials in this format to outline our case and highlight our ongoing work within the Newry, Mourne and Down area. We believe good working relationships are vital when delivering our services and building our capital programmes of work.’’
ENDS
Further information
All media enquiries to press.office@niwater.com or telephone 028 9035 4757.
More information on NI Water’s ‘Wrap Up Warm’ campaign can be found at https://www.niwater.com/news-detail/11576/wrap-up-warm-winter-is-here/