David Lloyd has named Water Plus, as the preferred water supplier for its 84-site estate, with just over six months until the introduction of full competition in the English non-domestic water market David Lloyd chooses Water Plus as single supplier.

The deal for the joint venture company set up by United Utilities and Severn Trent is the largest UK-wide switch to date. Water Plus will offer the health clubs and gyms one point of contact for billing and a consolidated bill for wastewater, surface water drainage and trade effluent. The water company will also deliver a water efficiency plan for David Lloyd, including the installation of automated meter readers (AMRs) and leak detection across its sites.

Prior to signing up with Water Plus, each of David Lloyd’s facilities was serviced by its local water company, which meant the business had to deal with 15 different suppliers for billing and specific site issues. Of its 84 locations, 70 are above the present water-use threshold for switching.

 Kish Sharma, Utilities and Property Finance Manager at David Lloyd, said:

“David Lloyd is one of the first companies to switch supplier ahead of the water market opening up to competition next year, setting a precedent for others to follow. The freedom to choose a single water company has created a range of benefits for our business, including cost and efficiency savings, as well as consolidated billing across most of the estate. We’re excited to be working with Water Plus.”

Water Plus is the largest water supplier in England and one of the largest suppliers of water and wastewater services in Scotland, serving more than 5,000 sites. The team has a track record of working with large, multi-site organisations such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Radisson Hotels and the Co-op Group. The Stoke-on-Trent based company is expected to employ around 400 people.

 Tony McHardy, Sales Director at Water Plus, said:

“Now is the time for organisations to start planning in order to maximise the potential benefits of competition. The savings and service benefits of this deal demonstrate what other companies can get out of switching.”