Ofwat and CCW: Incident research, 2023-4

Ofwat and CCW commissioned us to conduct research with household customers to understand the impact of water and wastewater service disruptions on people and households. This was a call-off contract, activated when an incident occurred somewhere in England or Wales – requiring rapid response to launch each new project. The projects focused on incidents affecting customers in their homes, gardens, or daily routines. 

Five relevant incidents from different water companies were selected, each representing a unique outcome (e.g., supply interruption, odour issue, do-not-drink notice). A combination of qualitative methods, including in-depth interviews, group discussions, and intercept interviews, were used to gather data. We also used pre-tasks and carefully designed questioning to enhance the accuracy of the research by improving participants' recall of the incident in question.

The analysis of these five incidents culminated in a comprehensive, clearly evidenced PowerPoint report for Ofwat and CCW, highlighting critical support areas: communication, actions during an incident, and post-incident responses. By drawing on company supplied information, we were able to contextualise the analysis against the company processes and provide useful and relevant insights. Additionally, we performed a separate analysis for each incident, producing tailored reports for the relevant water companies.

Our report has been published on Ofwat’s website and can be found here. This research was shortlisted for the Association for Qualitative Research’s Qualitative Excellence Award.