Our performance
Our business plan for the 2020-2025 period (known as AMP7) puts our customers at the heart of everything we do. We’ve engaged with 30,000 customers, along with the Yorkshire Forum for Water Customers, to understand individual lifestyles and how they shape what customers want, need and expect from us. In response to customer feedback, we’ve developed a package of 44 performance commitments for AMP7 that cover every aspect of what we do, from water source to sea.
We want our customers to know how well we’re doing against 11 of the core performance commitments, so we report our performance every 3 months and publish the results a few months afterwards. For example, our performance in April-June will be published in September. Each year, in July, we will also publish our Annual Performance Report, which will give a full in-depth update against all 44 performance commitments.
Check back again at the end of December for our next update.
See how we're doing
This is how we've performed so far this year (April-June 2023).
Water quality compliance (CRI)
What is it and why do we measure it?
This measures the quality of our water. We test water samples and the results give us a Compliance Risk Index (CRI) score. A lower score is better, and our score increases with each quality failure at all points in our water supply system. Water quality compliance is measured and reported on a calendar year basis.
How are we doing?
We're currently not on track to achieve our end of year target.
Coliform bacteria was found at one of our biggest sites in April and May. This kind of bacteria doesn’t affect our health, but we investigated the problem and put plans in place to stop this happening again and we haven’t found any in our water since.
We also had a lot of taste and odour issues caused by household fittings.
| Target | Result | Performance |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 4.48 | Off track |
Water supply interruptions
What is it and why do we measure it?
We know that having to cut off the water supply, for any amount of time, impacts on our customers and we want to keep interruptions to supply as low as possible. This performance commitment measures the average supply time lost per customer, across all of our customers, for interruptions that lasted three hours or more.
How are we doing?
We're currently not on track to achieve our end of year target.
Two bursts on large water mains, in the Frickley and Longwood areas, had a big impact on our performance this quarter. However, our investment in how we deal with these incidents, tankering water and alternative water supplies, has kept our performance stable.
| Target | Result | Performance |
|---|---|---|
| ≤00:01:10 | 00:03:44 | Off track |
Leakage
What is it and why do we measure it?
This measures the amount of water lost between our treatment works and our customers’ taps. Water is precious and it’s important we lose as little as possible, so we work hard to keep this number as low as possible.
We report how much we've reduced our water loss against our long term average of 315.3 megalitres per day. This doesn't include water lost inside buildings and homes.
How are we doing?
We're currently on track to achieve our end of year target.
Leakage is impacted by severe weather conditions because very hot or cold weather can cause our water mains to burst. The weather has been quite stable this quarter, which helps us keep on top of our proactive search to find and fix leaks.
| Target | Result | Performance |
|---|---|---|
| ≤11.7% | 12.7% | On track |
Unplanned outage
What is it and why do we measure it?
It’s important that our water treatment works operate reliably. Sometimes our water treatment works shut down because of equipment failures, we call this an 'unplanned outage'. This performance commitment measures the percentage of time are treatment works are down. We want this number to be as low as possible.
How are we doing?
We're currently on track to achieve our end of year target.
This quarter, we’ve focused on maximising our water supply and our performance against this commitment has been strong.
| Target | Result | Performance |
|---|---|---|
| ≤0.76% | 0.70% | On track |
Mains repairs
What is it and why do we measure it?
We need to look after our water pipes. This performance commitment measures the number of mains repairs we carry out on our clean water mains network per 1,000 km. This number doesn’t include repairs to communication and supply pipes.
How are we doing?
We're currently not on track to achieve our end of year target.
This performance commitment is impacted by severe weather conditions because very hot or cold weather can cause our water mains to burst. We worked hard to find and fix leaks over the summer, which has pushed our mains repairs slightly over target. Our next challenge will be the winter months which can bring big temperature changes.
| Target | Result | Performance |
|---|---|---|
| ≤32.26 | 35.61 | Off track |
Per capita consumption (PCC)
What is it and why do we measure it?
Per capita consumption (PCC) is how much water the average person uses each day. It’s important we use water carefully to make sure there’s enough for everyone.
We report how much we've reduced PPC against our long term average. PCC only covers household use.
How are we doing?
We're currently not on track to achieve our end of year target.
This quarter has been challenging for this performance commitment, but we expect to bring PPC back down to our long-term average by the end of the year. To do this, we’re piloting flow regulators on 1,000 measured homes in Leeds and we’re ready to restart our water efficiency smart home visits so we can help customers reduce their water use water use and install free water saving devices.
| Target | Forecast | Performance |
|---|---|---|
| ≤8.3% | 0% | Off track |
Pollution incidents
What is it and why do we measure it?
We want to make sure our operations don’t harm the environment. This performance commitment measures the number of pollution incidents caused by our wastewater assets, for every 10,000km of our wastewater network. This is a calendar year measure from January to December.
How are we doing?
We're currently on track to achieve our end of year target.
Our dedicated pollution team have reduced incidents by 36% since last quarter. Our sewage pumping stations in particular have improved massively with a whopping reduction of 76%! We’ve used new technologies to find problems before they cause pollution and put plans in place to keep up this great performance.
| Target | Result | Performance |
|---|---|---|
| ≤16.46 | 16.26 | On track |
Internal sewer flooding
What is it and why do we measure it?
Sometimes sewage can flood homes or business. We call this internal sewer flooding and we’re always working hard to lower the number of times this happens. This performance commitment measures the total number of internal sewer flooding incidents through the year per 10,000 sewer connections.
How are we doing?
We're currently not on track to achieve our end of year target.
We’ve had a tricky start to the year because of severe weather conditions, but we’re now seeing a steady drop in incidents. 1,200 blockages have been proactively cleared and our sewer alarm system is still growing - we now have over 31,000 monitors which will alert us to problems near our customers’ homes.
| Target | Result | Performance |
|---|---|---|
| ≤74 | 241 | Off track |
Treatment works compliance
What is it and why do we measure it?
We want to make sure we don’t harm our environment. We have permits that control our discharges into watercourses. This performance commitment measures the percentage of our treatment works that comply with their discharge permits. This is a calendar year measure from January to December.
How are we doing?
We're currently on track to achieve our end of year target.
We’ve had no failures this quarter and we’ve also surpassed the Environment Agency’s expectation of 99% compliance or higher.
| Target | Result | Performance |
|---|---|---|
| 100% | 100% | On track |
Sewer collapses
What is it and why do we measure it?
If a part of a sewer collapses, it can block the sewer and lead to sewer flooding or pollution. This performance commitment measures the number of sewer collapses that affect our customers’ supply or the environment, per 1,000 km of our sewer network.
How are we doing?
We're currently on track to achieve our end of year target.
Our performance has been strong this quarter and we expect it to continue to year-end and beyond. We’re proactivity looking for problems that could cause a sewer to collapse so it doesn’t impact our customers.
| Target | Result | Performance |
|---|---|---|
| ≤3.79 | 2.34 | On track |
Priority services for customers in vulnerable circumstances
What is it and why do we measure it?
Our Priority Services Register offers free extra services for our vulnerable customers who need them. We want to make sure our vulnerable customers are using this service, so this performance commitment measures the percentage of household customers who are getting support from through our Priority Services Register.
How are we doing?
We're currently not on track to achieve our end of year target.
Our performance against this measure is improving. The number of customers on our Priority Services Register is growing and we’re putting plans in place to meet our year-end target.
| Target | Result | Performance |
|---|---|---|
| ≥9.1% | 5.0% | Off track |
Disclaimer: The numbers we report show our year-to-date progress against regulatory targets listed in Ofwat’s Final Determination. All the numbers we report have been checked thoroughly internally. While we make every effort to report accurately, all information undergoes a final internal review and external audit each year, so numbers may differ slightly at year end. Our final annual position is reported on this website and in our Annual Performance Report. You can read more about how we check and assure our data in our Assurance Plan.
See our past performance
Want to know more?
Get in touch by emailing us at apr@yorkshirewater.co.uk.