Market announcement

Title

AS Tallinna Vesi's operational performance in the first half of 2016

Message

Our key priority is to provide high quality drinking water to our customers,
along with an efficient and reliable wastewater discharge service. Very good
operational performance during the first half year of 2016 provides confidence
to our consumers that they can rely on the service they receive. 

Together with ensuring the continued performance of the company’s
infrastructure, we also remain focused on being a good partner for our
customers as well as the wider community. Customer feedback to our work has
been very positive. However, we continue to strive towards customers being
equally satisfied with both, the quality of service and the customer service. 

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. Water quality is
characterised by the compliance with the legislative acts. 

In the first half of 2016, we took a total of 1472 samples across our service
area (Tallinn and Saue), from the consumers’ taps and carried out 12,120 water
analyses. 99.93% of the water samples were compliant with all the requirements.
Thus, only one sample exceeded the limit values. We immediately carried out
maintenance works on the water network on the relevant street resulting in the
new samples being fully compliant. Steadily high quality level is a result of
an efficient water treatment process, preventive actions reducing the number of
water bursts on the network, and a timely maintenance of the water network. 

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 the company’s web page (please click here for details). 

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.  The more reliable
our service, the less our customers have reason to be dissatisfied with us. 

Over the years, the number of customer contacts as well as complaints has
decreased significantly. For example, during the first half of 2016, there were
21 complaints, in comparison with 37 complaints during the same period of 2015.
We are committed to respond to written requests within 2 working days, and here
too we see an improvement in comparison with previous year. In the first half
of 2016, we responded to written customer contacts within at least 2 working
days, in 99.1% of cases. 

We believe that the feedback is the key for continuous improvements in the
service. Hence, with the help of the research agency EMOR, we ask monthly
feedback to our services from our customers. This enables us to adapt relevant
and appropriate changes in our work processes. During the first half of 2016,
the customer satisfaction index was 4.1 (5-point scale), which is a very good
result. 

Cleaner environment

We provide wastewater discharge service to nearly one third of the Estonia’s
population 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 half 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 are proactively managing the network, for
example jet washing. During the first half of 2016, the number of sewage
blockages reduced by 14.25%, when compared to same period in 2015. 



Operational indicators for the first half of 2016

Indicator                                           1st half year  1st half year
                                                          of 2015        of 2016
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Drinking water                                                                  
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- 
Compliance of water quality at the customers’ tap          99,93%         99,93%
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Water loss in the water distribution network               13,95%         16,22%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Average duration of water interruptions per                  3,17           3,54
 property in hours                                                              
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wastewater                                                                      
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- 
Number of sewer blockages                                     428            367
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of sewer bursts                                         68             52
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Wastewater treatment compliance with environmental           100%           100%
 standards                                                                      
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Customer Service                                                                
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- 
Number of written complaints                                   37             21
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Number of customer contacts regarding water                    38             48
 quality                                                                        
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Number of customer contacts regarding water                   146            157
 pressure                                                                       
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Number of customer contacts regarding blockages               601            569
 and discharge of storm water                                                   
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Responding written customer contacts within at              98,7%          99,1%
 least 2 work days                                                              
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of failed promises                                       6              2
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Notification of unplanned water interruptions at            98,8%          97,9%
 least 1 h before the interruption                                              
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         Mariliis Mia Topp
         AS Tallinna Vesi
         Head of Communications
         Ph: (+372) 62 62 275
         [email protected]