Icosa Water, the New Appointment and Variation (NAV) licensed water and wastewater service provider across England and Wales, has announced its rebrand to Last Mile Water. This change reflects the company’s integration into the broader Last Mile group, one of the UK’s leading multi-utility providers.
As the UK’s second-largest NAV, serving roughly 47,000 homes across 386 sites, Last Mile Water is already a core component of the Last Mile group, which operates over 910,000 connections nationwide. The integration responds directly to growing demand for multi-utility solutions from developers and will enhance homeowners’ customer experience.
“Planners, consultants and developers now expect the convenience and efficiencies of a single, multi-utility provider that can deliver everything in one coordinated package,” said Rob Bradley, Executive Director, Last Mile. “Fully integrating an already strong NAV brand into the Last Mile offering gives a clear signal – we’re here to help accelerate housebuilding and commercial projects as a one-stop shop for your water, wastewater, gas, electricity and heat.”
As a licensed NAV, Last Mile Water has the same duties and responsibilities as traditional water companies, though it can provide developers with cost savings through shared trenching, flexibility, speedier decision-making, and reduced connection times. According to Ofwat, developers report 25-50% faster delivery of water connections when working with NAVs.
“Our helpful, friendly teams continue to provide the highest standard of personalised service to homeowners – a service that, in our experience, NAVs are best positioned to provide”, said Sarah Dacruz, Head of Retail and Customer Services, Last Mile. “Although customers will see a new logo on our bills and vans, it’s business as usual. As a smaller, more agile team, we can respond quickly, keep customers informed, and resolve problems faster than the large incumbent water companies.”
Icosa, now Last Mile Water, started operations in 2016, making it one of the first and longest-running NAVs in operation. It has more than 350 years of combined water industry expertise within its team, which is currently connecting around 2,000 new homes monthly. This growth trajectory is an important enabler for the UK government’s ambitious target of 1.5 million new homes by 2029.
“As the independent utilities sector matures, it’s vital that we continue engaging constructively with regulators, like Ofwat, to shape the frameworks that will best serve developers, homeowners and the environment”, said Richard Thomas, CEO, Last Mile group. Adding, “this rebrand is the first of several integration initiatives that will facilitate the continued growth, breadth and agility of the Last Mile group.”
Homeowners can access information about water and wastewater services on the new Last Mile Water website https://lmwater.co.uk/. Developers can learn more about the benefits of the NAV model for water at https://lmwater.co.uk/developer/