Catalogue description Records of the Consumer Council for Water

The Consumer Council for Water (CCWater) was established on 1 October 2005 under the Water Act 2003 to represent customers’ interests in respect of price, service and value for money from their water and sewerage services, and to investigate complaints from customers about their water company.

CCWater was created to build on the service previously provided by WaterVoice, which was established in 1990 under the Water Act 1989. The new organisation had extra duties and more power than its predecessor, which represented consumers from within the regulatory structure of Ofwat, whereas CCWater is independent of both the regulator (Ofwat) and the water companies, and provides impartial advice and/or advocacy for consumers.

CCWater consists of a head office and local offices across England and Wales which aim to ensure that consumers’ complaints are being handled promptly and efficiently. Each region is headed by a Chair who is assisted by a manager as well as administrative staff. They are there to handle complaints that haven’t been resolved by water companies. Regional Committees also hold regular open meetings in which water issues are discussed as well as promoting value for money within the industry.