|
|
Water supply could dry up in 2000
Service guarantees 'impossible' says Ros Vickers
The UK’s water regulator and suppliers are refusing to guarantee water supply in early 2000, even to vital facilities such as hospitals, writes Steven Mathieson.
Ros Vickers, co-ordinator of the year 2000 group assembled by nine of the 10 biggest water companies, said that service guarantees were impossible.
‘With the best year 2000 policy in the world, no utility guarantees service on a day-to-day basis,’ she said.
The NHS Confederation, which represents health authorities, criticised the group’s stance. Spokeswoman Barbara Connah said: ‘The government should take responsibility for negotiating continuity of supply to the NHS.’
Anglian Water said it was offering NHS bodies the chance to audit its compliance work. Year 2000 programme manager Nick Slowe said: ‘If they want to crawl all over our plans, we’re happy.’
Alistair Baker of Northumbrian Water said that his firm was working with local emergency planning groups, but could not guarantee supply.
Suppliers and regulators for electricity, gas and telephone networks are also refusing to give service guarantees for the millennium. The four utility regulators said they were researching compliance, but were not yet prepared to discuss the options.
13 August 1998