Goodwill Payments for Non Household Customers in Rhonnda Cynon Taf (i.e. Business Customers)

We are sorry for the impact that the precautionary ‘boil water notice’ has had on our customers in communities across Rhondda Cynon Taf. This is due to Storm Bert and the flooding affecting Tynywaun Water Treatment Works in Treherbert, which serves Blaenrhondda, Blaencwm, Tynewydd, Treherbert, Treorchy, Cwm-parc, Ton Pentre, Gelli, parts of Pentre, parts of Tonypandy and parts of Ystrad.

Protecting the health of our customers and providing them with a clean, fresh drinking water supply is our number one priority and we will not take any risks in terms of public health.

When we identified that Storm Bert had impacted our drinking water storage at Tynywaun Water Treatment Works, we issued a precautionary boil water notice on November 24th 2024. This resulted in each non-household customer receiving compensation of £300 per property. The boil notice was then extended for a further 7 days to 8th December. As a result, each business will receive an additional £200.

Welsh Water has also agreed to make goodwill contributions of up to £2500 for each business customer towards certain costs/loss of gross profit where this exceeds the £500 already given.

The eligibility, criteria and process for applying for a goodwill contribution towards costs/loss of gross profit is detailed in this guidance and should be read in full before making an application for a Goodwill Payment. 

The application form will be available on this page after the ‘boil water notice’ has officially been lifted.  

Affected businesses have a duty to take all reasonable steps to minimise its costs/loss of gross profit as a result of the ’boil water notice’.   

If, after reading these guidance notes in full, you believe that you meet the eligibility criteria for a goodwill payment over the £500 already being issued, please complete the application when available providing the information detailed in this guidance and the Goodwill Application webforms. 

Please note that the maximum goodwill contribution that Welsh Water will make is £2500 for each business customer. 

Eligibility criteria

The following criteria must be met for your business to be eligible to apply for a goodwill contribution payment.

• You are a business customer who has directly received a precautionary boil water notice from Welsh Water on 24th November 2024. 
• You must be a business permanently based at the location of the application e.g. not a mobile/visiting business including taxi services.
• Your business must be registered with the HMRC.

Eligibility for a goodwill contribution and any contribution made is at the discretion of Welsh Water. 

Goodwill Application Process

It is expected that customers will have business interruption insurance in place. Where this is the case, claims for any costs/loss of gross profit incurred should be made using your insurance. Where customers have insurance and have used their own insurance, Welsh Water is willing to consider a contribution towards any policy excess of up to £2500 with adequate evidence. There is a specific webform to apply for this goodwill contribution, further details below.

All costs/loss of gross profit must be supported by the evidence requested in this guidance and the Goodwill Application webform. Please have the relevant evidence ready before starting the webform.

Following receipt of your application we may invite you to produce additional evidence to substantiate your application or request additional information to support our assessment.

Not Eligible

Please note that the costs/loss of gross profit being considered exclude professional fees, including any associated with completing the application, and any increases in insurance premia. No payments will be made in respect of these two categories.

The below outlines the different Goodwill Application webforms you may complete. You are only permitted to complete one webform per Business Customer.

Loss of Gross Profit Only over £500

Completing this webform will allow goodwill payments between £500 and £2500 towards Loss of Gross Profit incurred by the loss of water supply to be considered.

You will be required to provide the following information:

• Daily sales net of VAT (if vat registered) for the period of the ‘boil water notice’ (inclusive),
• Daily sales net of VAT (if vat registered) for the same period the previous year.
• A copy of the last set of year end accounts including a detailed profit and loss.

If your business has been trading for less than 12 months, as a minimum, please provide daily sales net of VAT (if vat registered) for a comparative period.

Additional Costs to Continue Operating Only over £500 

Completion of this webform will allow goodwill payments over £500 and up to £2500 towards additional costs of operating because of the ‘boil water notice’ to be considered.

You will be required to provide evidence of relevant invoices/receipts.

Loss of Gross Profit and Additional Costs to Continue Operating over £500

Completion of this webform will allow goodwill payments between £500 and £2500 towards Loss of Gross Profit and additional costs of operating incurred because of the loss of water supply to be considered.

You will be required to provide evidence of the following:

• Daily sales net of VAT (if vat registered) for the period of the ‘boil water notice’ (inclusive),
• Daily sales net of VAT (if vat registered) for the same period the previous year.
• A copy of the last set of year end accounts including a detailed profit and loss.
• All invoices/receipts.

If your business has been trading for less than 12 months, as a minimum, please provide daily sales net of VAT (if vat registered) for a comparative period.

Note: Applications are not permissible for the same dates for both ‘Loss of Gross Profit’ and ‘Additional Costs to Continue Operating’ (you can either apply for ‘Loss of Gross Profit’ or ‘Additional Costs to Continue Operating’ for any given day). It is envisaged that applications for ‘Loss of Gross Profit’ and ‘Additional Costs to Continue Operating’ will only take place where a customer stayed open and incurred extra costs but subsequently had to close.

Contribution to your insurance excess over £500

Completion of this webform will allow goodwill payments of between £500 and £2500 towards the insurance excess incurred following settlement of an insurance claim your business has made relating to the ‘boil water notice’ to be considered.

You will be required to provide evidence of the excess and that a claim relating to this ’boil water notice’ event has been successfully paid.

Declaration

A declaration must be completed and signed by an authorised signatory of your business, e.g. the business owner where a sole trader; a partner of a registered or unregistered partnership; or an officer of a limited company.

What happens next

Upon receipt of your application and supporting documentation, you will receive an acknowledgement by email.

We aim to assess and make a decision on your application within 20 working days from receipt.

These timescales may be longer depending on the value and complexity of your application as well as the speed of response from you in replying to requests. If this is the case, we will let you know.

Welsh Water may appoint third parties to assist or complete the assessment of any applications. Appointment of third parties will be made without prior notification. These costs will be met by Welsh Water.