MANCHESTER, England, July 7 /PRNewswire/ --

- With Photo

United Utilities has scooped the top national award for responsible business
practice. The organisation, which keeps the taps flowing and loos flushing for
seven million customers in the North West as well as operating and maintaining
electricity and gas networks, has won the coveted Business in the Community
(BITC) Company of the Year Award.

HRH The Prince of Wales, President of BITC, hosted the Awards for Excellence
ceremony at a garden party reception at his Clarence House home. Only seven
companies were eligible to enter the ultimate Company of the Year award
category. All had to have achieved the 'Platinum + 'standard in BITC's corporate
responsibility index.

The annual Awards for Excellence recognise companies' corporate responsibility
business practices and programmes. Now in their 12th year, they are the UK's
most respected awards for responsible business practice.

Philip Green, Chief Executive of United Utilities said: I am honoured that the
breadth of our company's environmental and social commitment has been given such
significant recognition.

The Awards for Excellence are peer-assessed by a panel of more than 100
independent business and BITC partner representatives. Judges look for qualities
such as high quality management of responsible business practices and a positive
impact on society and the environment.

Stephen Howard, Chief Executive, Business in the Community said: I am delighted
that United Utilities have been awarded Business in the Community's Company of
the Year. It's fantastic to see one of our longest serving members achieve the
highest accolade we can give them for their outstanding commitment to
responsible business practise and the communities they serve.

United Utilities is playing a major leadership role in the climate change agenda
with Philip Green chairing our environment leadership team. All of us at BITC
are excited about working with them over the coming year and seeing this
leadership role develop further.

Among areas of United Utilities' operations which impressed the panel were:

- Environmental leadership: pioneering project to turn biogas from sewage
treatment into fuel for vehicles and in partnership with National Grid for
export into the national gas grid; the creation of combined heat and power
engines harvesting methane gas from sewage sludge to provide heat for treatment
processes and electricity to run sewage works; working closely with its
400-strong supply chain to help them measure their own carbon footprint. -
Community involvement: partnership with Groundwork Trust, creating environmental
community projects; staff giving more than 20,000 hours to volunteering
projects; 18,000 pupils benefiting from the company's climate change education
programmes; more than GBP11 million raised for Water Aid; engaging with
vulnerable customers on debt issues - Sustainability: a pioneering GBP10 million
programme to improve the condition of the Peak District and Trough of Bowland
water catchment estates;the company's corporate governance and long-term
planning model was also praised for setting a culture of remuneration and reward
that is sustainable and looks to the long term, rather than rewarding quick
wins.



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SOURCE: United Utilities Plc

For further media information, contact: Shaun Robinson at United Utilities on
+44(0)1925-237088,* Shaun.Robinson@uuplc.co.uk. *All calls are recorded and may
be monitored.