Key priority of the business is to provide high quality drinking water to our customers, along with an efficient and reliable wastewater discharge service. The first quarter of 2016, is off to an encouraging start, with the majority of operational key performance indicators being out-performed.
Together with ensuring the continued performance of the company’s infrastructure, we also remain focused on delivering an outstanding service to our customers and fulfilling the requirements of our numerous stakeholders. We work constantly with local schools and various community groups, to improve awareness of our activities and support the wider environment, in which we operate.
Tap water is drinking water
Tap water quality remains excellent, and is comparable to that of any other country in West-Europe. Strict legal requirements apply to the quality of drinking water, and this is monitored in accordance with the drinking water monitoring programs, approved by the Health Board. Both the Health Board and the Supervisory Foundation of Water Companies in Tallinn, perform independent supervision to ensure the continued quality of water and the Estonian Accreditation Centre certifies the company’s internal laboratories. Water quality is characterised by the compliance with the legislative acts. More than 90% of the people receive their water from surface water, which is treated in Ülemiste Water treatment Plant. Nearly 10% of the people drink regional ground water.
In the first quarter of 2016, we took a total of 772 samples across our service area, with a 100% compliance against the stipulated standards. The results of all drinking water analyses, taken from the water of Lake Ülemiste, Water Treatment Plant, ground water and customers’ taps, can be found on our web page.
A reliable service
It is important for all consumers to have a reliable and high-quality service available 24/7. We therefore strive to plan and optimize our activities to minimise disruption and inconvenience, wherever possible. This is reflected in the constantly reducing number of customer contacts and complaints. This trend has continued during Q1 2016, when directly compared to the same period last year. Customer contacts related to water quality have reduced by over 50%, and those related to water pressure by 27%. The number of complaints has dropped from 21 in the first quarter of 2015 to just 11 this year.
Cleaner environment
We provide wastewater discharge service to nearly one third of the Estonia’s population (400,000) located in Tallinn and some of the surrounding municipalities. The company’s wastewater treatment plant is located at Paljassaare, which is constantly being updated with new technologies, to ensure continued compliance with ever tightening environmental legislation. In the first quarter of 2016, effluent was again, 100% compliant with the stipulated permit requirements.
We remain focused on reducing the possible risk of flooding within our network and preventing any pollution incidents. The number of sewer blockages provides a good indication as to how we a proactively managing the network, for example yet flushing. In the first quarter of 2016, blockages reduced by 15%, when compared to same period in 2015.
Please find full operational performance overview here.