City File: Water results

THE water season kicks off on Wednesday with full-year results from North West Water. The next day will bring figures from South West Water, with the remainder trickling in over the next couple of weeks. Interest will not centre on the profit figures - where few surprises are on the cards - or the size of the dividend rise - expected to be 8 to 9 per cent for most companies. Instead, it will focus on the research that their regulator is forcing them to conduct into what customers are willing to pay for in terms of improvements to water quality and sewage processing.