Southern Water has announced a closer working partnership with water suppliers Wight Crystal to improve community services following a significant burst main in Ryde in August.
The partnership includes a commitment to exploring the possibility of using Wight Crystal for alternative supplies in the event of an emergency to reach people faster in times of need.
Keith Herbert, Southern Water’s operational manager on the Isle of Wight said: “We are thrilled to be working alongside Wight Crystal as well as supporting The Way Forward programme, and look forward to working even more closely together in the future.
“We understand the loss of water in Ryde and surrounding areas had a significant impact on a large number of residents and we have taken on board comments from our customers around alternative water supplies during emergencies.
“As a result of this event, we have put our emergency response plans under close scrutiny in order to make improvements where possible to ensure the best service for our customers.”
Wight Crystal’s spring water is extracted by Southern Water from Knighton and the charity pays towards this service.
As a registered charity Wight Crystal work alongside The Way Forward Programme, which provides activities supporting people with physical and learning disabilities, autism and long term conditions.
Southern Water have donated £2,500 to the Way Forward and will be providing volunteers to help refurbish a kitchen as well as fitting new water efficiency devices to help the save charity water, energy and money.
