Thanet customers take centre stage
We were delighted to meet with many of our Thanet customers at a special customer drop-in event in Broadstairs this week.
We were delighted to meet with many of our Thanet customers at a special customer drop-in event in Broadstairs this week.
Pierrepont Hall in Broadstairs hosted the latest of our Your Water Matters roadshows on Thursday 28 November, with 161 local residents and stakeholders learning what we are up to in their area.
Teams from across the business were there to answer questions including on how drinking water is treated and supplies maintained. Plus our projects to cut the use of storm overflows, and the more than £50 million project to rehab Thanet’s unique 100-year-old sewer network – tunnels through the rock otherwise seen only in Paris.
The illegal connections team was also on hand to explain the painstaking detective work that stops wrongly connected loos and washing machines from dumping wastewater straight into streams and onto beaches.
Meanwhile, customer service agents tackled specific problems and questions customers raised, including on bill discounts and special tariffs for those struggling financially.
Ashley Marshman, our head of customer service, said:
“We had a great day in Thanet – my team were really happy to be able to help so many people and it was great hearing from colleagues in other parts of the business how engaged people were in learning more about what we do.”
John Penicud, managing director of our wastewater sites and operations, added:
“I loved being able to bust a few persistent myths about the water industry and take any questions visitors had. I’m passionate about our work and it was great have so many and such positive and constructive conversations.
“A few people were understandably concerned about the prospect of future bill rises – but when they understand bills haven’t risen in a decade, it put the investment we have planned in context, and most importantly what is going to be paid for, a lot of the worry goes away.”
The event proved popular with attendees too with one filling out a feedback form to say “Great event! So good to hear what’s being done locally.”