North West Water
North West Water: a short history
North West Water was the water supplier for North West England. It began as the North West Water Authority in 1973, created by the Water Act 1973. The authority brought together several older water bodies, including the Mersey and Weaver River Authority, the Lancashire River Authority, the Cumberland River Authority, and various municipal waterworks and water boards from towns like Liverpool, Manchester, Bolton, Carlisle, St Helens, Widnes, and others. It was responsible for water supply, sewage disposal, and sewage treatment in the region.
In 1989, as part of the government’s privatisation of the water industry, its water and sewage operations became North West Water plc, a private company. The remaining regulatory duties—such as pollution control and water resources management—were transferred to the National Rivers Authority. About 56,000 hectares (roughly 220 square miles) of assets were moved to the private company at privatisation.
In 1995, North West Water plc merged with NORWEB (the former North Western Electricity Board) to form United Utilities, which continues to serve the region.
Predecessors: The North West Water Authority was formed by merging several earlier bodies, including Manchester Corporation Waterworks, Liverpool Corporation Waterworks, Audenshaw Reservoirs, and the Manchester and Salford Waterworks Co., among others.
This page was last edited on 1 February 2026, at 20:58 (CET).