Affinity want your views

Affinity Water (the new name for Veolia Water as I reported back in October) is consulting its customers on future investment in 'our community'.

There is an online survey for customers to complete which asks about    abstraction, reducing consumption, reducing leakage, installing meters, temporary use bans (such as happened earlier this year), customer expectations, ownership of connecting pipework, social tariffs and securing water supplies for future generations.

It is not very clear on the Affinity website but you really need to read the background to the consultation before completing the survey.

The key message of the consultation seems to be 'would you like this improvement?', if yes it will cost you the customer.  Surely if leakage is reduced there should be lower costs and it is the responsibility of the company to invest to make this happen.

I raised the issue of future supply with our local water supplier (still called Veolia at that time) at a Council meeting back in June.  This is Surrey reported on my concern that just 5% of water was being saved by the hosepipe ban then in place but 21% was being lost through leaks.

There was an opportunity to meet Affinity and discuss the consultation in person.  I would have liked to have gone along but I was rather surprised and disappointed to discover that the consultation event in Woking was held on Thursday 6 December.  The first time I saw it advertised was in a newspaper which was published on Friday 7 December and I didn't buy until Sunday 9 December.  There are other events but I don't fancy a trip to Great Missenden or St Albans!

Customers can also contribute to an online discussion board. This seems to cover a range of areas but there is a specific discussion topic on the consultation.  There wasn't a lot debate on there when I took a look.

The consultation closes on 21 December so if you would like to contribute make sure you do it before the deadline.