North West Water

North West Water was a water supply, sewage disposal and sewage treatment company serving North West England. It was established as the North West Water Authority in 1973, and became North West Water plc in 1989, as part of the privatisation of the water industry in England and Wales. In 1995, it merged with NORWEB (the former North Western Electricity Board) to form United Utilities.^[1][2]

The North West Water Authority was one of ten regional authorities created by the Water Act 1973. It was formed from the merger of statutory water undertakings, local sewerage boards and three river authorities, these being the Mersey and Weaver River Authority, the Lancashire River Authority and the Cumberland River Authority.

The water undertakings subsumed into North West Water authority by the North West Water Authority Constitution Order 1973 (SI 1973/1287) included:^[3]

The sewage treatment, sewerage and water supply and distribution arms of the authority were privatised in July 1989, becoming North West Water plc. The remaining regulatory functions of the authority, including pollution prevention, fisheries management, flood control, water resource management and a number of other ancillary functions, were transferred to the newly formed National Rivers Authority.

The water supply sewage disposal and sewerage assets, which were previously held by the water authority and covered some 56,000 hectares (220 sq miles), were transferred to North West Water at privatisation.

The Manchester Corporation Waterworks was formed by the Manchester Corporation Waterworks Act 1847 (10 & 11 Vict. c. cciii).^[4][5] Manchester Corporation Waterworks built the Longdendale Chain reservoirs, the Audenshaw Reservoirs and the Thirlmere Aqueduct.

The Manchester and Salford Waterworks Company was formed in 1809 by the Manchester and Salford Water Act 1809 (49 Geo. 3. c. cxcii), and purchased by the Manchester Corporation Waterworks in 1883.^[6]

The North Cheshire Waterworks Company Limited was incorporated on 10 February 1857 under the Joint Stock Companies Act 1856, aupplying water to Altringham, Bowden, Dunham and Sale that it obtained in bulk from the Manchester Corporation Waterworks. That company was dissolved and reincorporated as the North Cheshire Water Company by the North Cheshire Water Act 1864 (27 & 28 Vict. c. cvii), which set the operational area of the company as Bowden, Ashton-upon-Mersey, Northen, Washburton and Lymm. It was acquired by the Manchester Corporation Waterworks under the Manchester Corporation Act 1919 (9 & 10 Geo. 5. c. cxix).

The West Pennine Water Board was formed by the West Pennine Water Order 1968 (SI 1968/512) from the Rochdale Corporation Waterworks, Oldham Corporation Waterworks, the Ashton-under-Lyne, Stalybridge and Dukinfield (District) Waterworks Joint Committee, and the Heywood and Middleton Water Board. It had offices in Oldham.

The Ashton-under-Lyne, Stalybridge and Dukinfield (District) Waterworks Joint Committee was formed by the Ashton-under-Lyne, Stalybridge and Dukinfield (District) Waterworks Act 1870 (33 & 34 Vict. c. cxxxi).

The Heywood and Middleton Water Board was created by the Heywood Waterworks (Transfer) Act 1898 (61 & 62 Vict. c. ccxl). It was formed from the existing Heywood Corporation Waterworks, which had expanded to provide for the Borough of Middleton.

Heywood Corporation Waterworks was established by the Heywood Waterworks Act 1877 (40 & 41 Vict. c. clii), which allowed the Local Board of Heywood to purchase the undertaking of the private Heywood Waterworks Company, which had been incorporated by the Heywood Waterworks Act 1846 (9 & 10 Vict. c. cclxxxvi).