Water & Wastewater Treatment Magazine
Issue link: https://fhpublishing.uberflip.com/i/1062770
12 | XXXXX 20XX | WWT | www.wwtonline.co.uk The Works A s part of PR19, Ofwat has tasked companies with finding a holistic approach that covers operational, financial and corporate resilience – so- called 'Resilience in the Round'. The concept was explained in the regulator's guidance report on 'Resilience in the Round' in September 2017, which advised companies that "the nature, awareness of and tolerance to future threats is changing" and that, by consequence, "resilience has moved up the political and social agenda". By the time companies had submitted their business plans for PR19 a year later, it had moved up to new heights, with a freeze- thaw having brought widespread supply interruptions and the joint hottest summer on record then having raised the prospect of hosepipe bans. The regulator's response to the issues caused by the Beast from the East shows there must be greater readiness for weather extremes, but resilience in the round is about far more than contending with climate change. Ofwat has told companies they must consider the bigger picture if they are to provide resilient, reliable and sustainable water and wastewater services in the face of a rapidly changing world, and that it will not only involve implementing new ideas and innovative technologies but finding ways to link together corporate, financial and operational resilience, placing customers at the heart of their new approach. So, how do water companies go about ensuring they meet the regulator's expectations and set themselves on course for true resilience? Resilience is one of the four priorities that Ofwat wants to see water companies adopt in their plans for PR19. But what exactly constitutes 'resilience in the round' and how are utilities interpreting the challenge? By Robin Hackett Resilience in the Round 12 | JANUARY 2019 | WWT | www.wwtonline.co.uk