The specialist skills South West Water need for complete peace of mind

About South West Water

South West Water provide water and waste water services to 1.8 million people in Cornwall, Devon, parts of Somerset, Dorset, and the Isles of Scilly.

South West Water’s requirements

The effective treatment of waste water is a large part of what South West Water does. Once treated, the waste product (or bio solids) become bio resources, some of which are used as fertiliser on agricultural land. Across the UK, approximately 3.6 million tonnes of bio solids are recycled in this way every year.

South West Water (SWW) required a specialist who could support them with the safe and compliant distribution of these bio resources.

Deep-rooted knowledge that provides peace of mind

The transportation of bio resources requires specialist kit and specialist knowledge. We have qualified experts in soil health and compliance, which Georgia Simpson, SWW’s Operations Contracts Service Manager, said she acknowledged the moment she started working with us:

When I joined SWW it was immediately apparent how knowledgeable the Gregory Group team are on what is a complex and specialist topic. They have a team of passionate people who understand the intricacies and make it their business to stay up to date with regulations and compliance requirements.

This was demonstrated in a recent bio solids assurance audit which Gregory Group were heavily involved in. They passed with flying colours demonstrating their deep understanding of bio resources at every stage of the process.

Forming relationships that last

This contract requires communication with lots of different parties. Everyone has different requirements and different expectations, so strong communication is critical, as Georgia explains:

When you are dealing with such sensitive compliance risks on a daily basis, you really need strong communication. From the relationships with the SWW office team, to the farmers who use the bio resources as fertiliser, to the third parties who provide additional outlets for the bio solids, Gregory Group work collaboratively, ensuring everyone is kept informed.

It feels as though we are one team rather than separate organisations. This brings with it trust. I know that Gregory Group are doing everything we need and representing South West Water positively.

Catering to specific needs

To maximise visibility of this very specialist contract, our in-house software development team created a portal that shows everything from average dry solids to load progress, which the SWW team use on a daily basis. Georgia tells us more about the role the portal plays:

Our operators use it on a daily basis. It’s fantastic. They can track jobs and we’ve worked closely with the development team to hone what the system can do. In fact, this is another example of the great communication at Gregory Group. Whilst in development, we had monthly check-ins with the team so they could gather feedback and ensure the system did exactly what we needed.

A partnership that keeps growing

At Gregory Group we pride ourselves on the fact we never rest on our laurels. We are always learning, analysing and sharing ideas for improvements. Georgia talks us through a recent example of this:

Something we’re working on together at the moment is moving over to HVO fuel in line with our environmental targets. Gregory Group approached us with the options available and talked us through some case studies. We’ve also recently discussed moving to gas trucks which, in the longer term, would be powered by the gas generated from our aerobic digestors.

The key ingredients to a successful partnership

We asked Georgia to summarise why she thinks our working relationship is so successful. This is what she said:

Communication, trust, and your reliability. Your willingness to work with us and keep building our relationship is also a winning factor, but above all, it’s your people. They are true specialists and have great pride in what they do. Their passion shines through and they are all dedicated to providing us with a fantastic service. I couldn’t ask for a better team to work with.