We supported our work through a range of new contracts covering our diverse needs.

We appointed three main contractors for our five-year metering programme to install about 500,000 water meters for our customers. The new meters are the most advanced in the industry and can be read remotely using 3G ‘drive-by’ technology.

Our IT initiatives focused on changes to our billing system to incorporate new options open to our customers as they move to metered charges.

We continued our strategy to streamline procurement by establishing long-term contracts for equipment such as pumps and screens.

The success of our business relies on a wide range of ‘back-office’ service providers and we awarded new contracts for HR services, data management and debt recovery.

We ensured our key contracts have price caps to maintain costs in line with the five-year spending limits set by our finance regulator, Ofwat.

We also started work on procuring support for a key mains renewal programme in Kent, waste management services, private sewer maintenance and vehicle leasing in preparation for issuing contracts in 2011-12.