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Hafren Dyfrdwy

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Dee Valley Water / Dŵr Dyffryn Dyfrdwy
Company typePublic limited company
IndustryPublic Utility
Founded1863 (as Wrexham Waterworks Company) 1997
HeadquartersPacksaddle
Rhostyllen,
Wrexham, United Kingdom
ParentSevern Trent Water (LSE: STW)
SubsidiariesWrexham Water PLC
Websitehdcymru.co.uk

Dee Valley Water / Dŵr Dyffryn Dyfrdwy was a company which supplied drinking water services to parts of North East Wales and parts of North West England until June 2018. Its parent entity, Dee Valley Group PLC had shares listed on the FTSE Fledgling Index on the London Stock Exchange, but was purchased by Severn Trent Water in February 2017.[1]

It was regulated under the Water Industry Act 1991.

On 1 July 2018, Dee Valley Water ceased to operate as a regulated water service company. All of the water service area of Dee Valley and Severn Trent lying in Wales were transferred to a new regulated water service company named Hafren Dyfrdwy, which is Welsh for Severn Dee.[2] The small residue of Dee Valley lying in England was taken over by Severn Trent.

History

Wrexham Waterworks Company

After Wrexham achieved its Charter of Incorporation in 1857, attentions turned to a proper water supply for the town, as residents relied on wells and the River Gwenfro for their water supply, which contained trade effluence from the many breweries, leatherworks and brickworks present. In 1863, the Wrexham Waterworks Company was first established with the aim of pumping water from nearby Pentrebychan, West enough of the town to not be influenced by pollution. The first works, opened in the same year, were primitive, with only a reservoir and slow sand filter for water treatment, these were made obsolete by the construction of an impounding reservoir further upstream in 1878, this reservoir, named Cae Llwyd, has a capacity of 11 million US gallons (42,000 m3).

In 1904, demand had again increased, and the company now supplied parts of Cheshire as well as Wrexham. To meet this increased demand, a new, larger reservoir was built, named Ty Mawr (Big House), which opened in 1907. The same Act of Parliament that allowed the construction also authorised the name change of Wrexham Waterworks Company to the Wrexham and East Denbighshire Water Company. The construction of these works also enabled the construction and expansion of the treatment works at Legacy in 1921, as well as the construction of legacy water tower by 1934. Pumps had also been installed at disused mines, notably at Minera Lead Mines, to extract water in times of drought.

Legacy Water Tower

During the 1950s, there was a period of consolidation. The company acquired several other local water supply companies, including those at nearby Ruabon and Brymbo, as well as undertakings previously run by district councils. The company also took possession of the large water extraction works at Sesswick built by the Ministry of Works to supply ROF Wrexham during World War II. In 1983, the expansion of the company dictated that larger offices were required. The headquarters at Egerton Street were sold and the company moved to new, purpose built offices at Packsaddle, Rhostyllen.[3]

Chester Waterworks Company

A water supply system has been present in Chester since Roman times with water taken from the River Dee and small local sources.[4] There certainly appears to have been a well at Christleton to the east of the city in the 14th century[5] and by 1537 records reveal a conduit being built from Broughton to convey water into the City. In 1838 the City of Chester Waterworks company was established inheriting an intake at the causeway – now called Chester Weir and elsewhere in the city. The Chester weir intake remains in use.

Merger

In 1994, the Wrexham and East Denbighshire Water Company was re-organised into a PLC, known as Wrexham Water PLC, and the new parent company Dee Valley Group PLC was established to act as a holding company to the new company. In 1997, the group purchased Chester Waterworks PLC, and over the next year, combined operations from both entities into the current Dee Valley Water PLC. In 2002, Dee Valley Group PLC was listed on the London Stock Exchange with the ticker code DVW.[6]

2016 Takeover bids

In October 2016 the Board of Dee Valley Water plc announced that they had agreed a takeover of the company by Ancala Fornia Limited.[7] This offer would have allowed the company to remain as an independent water company. Three weeks later the plc Board announced that they were now recommending a 10% higher offer from Severn Trent Water.[8] Several local MPs have expressed concern about the potential impact on jobs and local services arising from the proposed Severn Trent takeover.[9][10] Ancala subsequently increased their offer to 1p per share above Severn Trent, and two days later Severn Trent further increased their offer by a further 7.3%.[11]. The takeover by Severn Trent was completed in February 2017. [12]

Operations

Dee Valley Water supplies water for Wrexham and Chester, and some surrounding areas. However the company does not provide sewerage or sewage disposal services which are provided in the main by Welsh Water with some smaller areas having waste services provided by Severn Trent Water and United Utilities.

The company abstracts more than 70 million litres of water per day, from six abstraction points; the majority being from two main abstraction points on the River Dee, and less from the companies own reservoirs such as Pendinas Reservoir. Less than a 10th is taken from two underground sources.[13]

This water is treated at six water treatment works, one for each abstraction point:

  • Boughton
  • Legacy
  • Pendinas
  • Llwyn Onn
  • Oerog Spring
  • Plemstall Borehole

The treated water is then relayed by gravity and pumps to 31 service reservoirs, and then on to customers.[14]

References

  1. ^ "Severn Trent and Dee Valley come together to build on strong customer legacy" (PDF). Severn Trent Water. 15 February 2017. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  2. ^ https://www.hdcymru.co.uk/about-us/overview/
  3. ^ Dee Valley Water History
  4. ^ A History of the County of Chester: Volume 5 part 2: The City of Chester: Culture, Buildings, Institutions
  5. ^ A History of water in Chester
  6. ^ LSE: DVW
  7. ^ Title Ancala Fornia Offer
  8. ^ Title Severn Trent Water Offer
  9. ^ Fears Dee Valley Water bills may rise and jobs lost if takeover bid is successful
  10. ^ Title Takeover of Dee Valley Water by Severn Trent Challenged by Plaid AM
  11. ^ Title Severn Trent raises offer for Dee Valley Water in bidding war
  12. ^ Title Dee Valley Water company £84m takeover deal complete
  13. ^ Water Resources
  14. ^ Annual Report of Water Quality
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