We are pleased to announce the appointment of Lakh Jemmett as the new Independent Chair of the Customer Challenge Group (CCG) taking over from the previous Chair Cllr David Guest. The CCG is an important element of our continued commitment of meeting the expectations of our customers and remaining the industry leader in delivering service to customers. Lakh was appointed after a robust recruitment process involving both the Company and other members of the CCG.

The CCG was set up in 2012 and has membership from a wide range of groups including local councillors, Citizens Advice, Federation of Small Businesses, a number of local environmental groups and some individual large users of water in their own right.  In addition our regulators, CCWater, the Environment Agency and Natural England are members.

Lakh has held a number of senior executive positions in the telecoms industry and on his appointment he said “I am very much looking forward to my new role, working with the CCG to represent the customers and stakeholders of Portsmouth Water.  I recognise the good performance the company currently provides and I will challenge the Company as appropriate to ensure it continues to place customers at the heart of its business.”

Neville Smith, Managing Director at Portsmouth Water, said: “I am delighted with the appointment of Lakh as the new independent Chair of the CCG. This appointment will ensure that customers remain at the heart of everything we do. I know that Lakh will robustly challenge us to ensure that we live up to our record of delivering excellence for our customers. I would also like to put on record my thanks to David Guest for his effort and expertise as the first Chair of the CCG and his role was fundamental in establishing and shaping the CCG from its inception.”

For more information please contact Ian Limb on 02392 499888

Website:    <a href="http://www.portsmouthwater.co.uk/">www.portsmouthwater.co.uk</a>
Twitter:      <a href="http://twiter.com/portsmouthwater" target="_blank">@portsmouthwater </a><strong>
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Portsmouth Water is one of the oldest water companies in the country, having been incorporated in 1857. We are proud sponsors of Portsmouth in Bloom, EBP Schools Science Fair, Staunton Country Park and Water Aid.
<h4>Our Water Sources</h4>
Our water, of high quality, is derived from the chalk of the South Downs and is abstracted from wells, boreholes, springs and the River Itchen. The Springs at Havant and Bedhampton are thought to be the largest group of springs used for public supplies in Europe.
<h4>Statistics</h4>
We serve 304,000 homes and businesses in an area covering 868 square kilometres (335 square miles) from the River Meon in Hampshire to the River Arun in West Sussex.

Every day we supply around 180 million litres (40 million gallons) of water to a population of over 660,000 people at the lowest cost in England and Wales.
<h4>Our Distribution Network</h4>
Water is supplied to our customers through a network of over 3,200 kilometres (1,990 miles) of underground water mains and more than 300,000 individual service connections, all of which are continuously maintained by our distribution staff.