A new body has been set up to help people in the Midlands raise concerns about their water supplies.
The Consumer Council for Water Midlands was officially launched yesterday as the regional arm of a new national independent water consumer body.
The body, which represents customers of Severn Trent Water and South Staffordshire Water, and will have more powers than its predecessor WaterVoice Central, which represented consumers from within the regulatory structure of Ofwat.
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CCWM operates as a non-departmental public body reporting to the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
The body's chairman Sir James Perowne said: " Water customers can expect to reap the benefits from our new powers, as this will mean that we can do more on their behalf. For example, we can monitor water companies' performance more closely and we now have more powers to investigate customers' complaints.
"Our main objective is to work hard for water customers and highlight the issues that matter to them.
The key issues we intend to focus on are reducing their need to complain to their water company and to ensure they always get a good service.
"If consumers know that there is an organisation such as ours that is on their side I am sure it will help them to feel re-assured when they are experiencing difficulties with their water company."
The Consumer Council for Water took over from WaterVoice in October, and was set up by the Water Act 2003. Consumers can contact the body on a national number 0845 039 2837.
