Wessex Water Cataloguing Project

Bath Record Office is in the process of cataloguing a collection of records from Wessex Water. The collection had originally been held at Wessex Water’s Historical Archive at the Water Supply Museum in Sutton Poyntz, Dorset. They had been preserved thanks to the work of the curator of the museum, John Willows.

Funding for this cataloguing work was generously provided by Wessex Water.

The records are divided into two series:

1. Wessex Water Official Publications

The collection consists of the official publications, both internal and external, by Wessex Water, from its founding in 1974 to the 2010s. This includes their annual reviews, leaflets sent out to customers about their services, training documents and code of practices for staff, and various promotional campaigns. It also covers key historical moments in the company’s history, including the decision taken to privatise the water authorities, and the purchase of Wessex Water by Enron. These reports, leaflets and brochures produced by Wessex show how utility companies attempt to communicate with the public about the services they provide. They may also provide researchers with a case study in the shift from the public to the private.

Interesting items include:

• Statistics and data sets published by Wessex Water Authority’s Regional Planning (1977-1987).

• Copies of the various iterations of the staff newspapers and customer newspapers.

• Water quality reports.

• Environmental and sustainability reports.

• Presentation of Enron’s offer to buy Wessex Water.

• Photographs of Wessex Water staff at work and social events.

2. Bath District Records

From Wessex Water, the Record Office also received records from the Bath District office of Wessex Water’s Bristol Avon Division. These records primarily date from the 1970s, mostly originating from the offices of the district manager and engineer. They give a picture of the management of the water authority during its initial, pre-privatisation years. The records also include the correspondence and drawings of various waterworks improvement schemes such as work on Tucking Mill and Royal School Reservoir. These new additions to the Record Office serve as a companion to the records already held by the Bath Record Office on water supply and sewage before the formation of Wessex Water Authority, which had been made available to researchers through our Building a Healthier City project.

The catalogue for this collection will become available on our online catalogue, under Reference Number 0312, later this year.

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Wessex Water Cataloguing Project

The records are divided into two series:

1. Wessex Water Official Publications

2. Bath District Records

Explore Bath's world heritage

Explore Bath's world heritage

Other things to do in Bath

Wessex Water Cataloguing Project

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