Lack of expertise and local knowledge at Northern Ireland's water company should be urgently remedied, a leaked official report warned today.
Deficiencies were sparked by an over-reliance on experts in privatised utilities in England, the report found.
"The system suffers from serious deficiencies which must be remedied urgently. They lack public confidence, clarity about roles and responsibilities, openness and inclusion and specialist expertise."
Users should have a greater say in the running of the Government-owned body, which lacks public confidence and openness, the 168-page paper said.
It called for a greater oversight role for Department for Regional Development Minister Conor Murphy and extended protection for the poor.
Northern Ireland Water (NIW) should be retained until 2013 and then a customers' company established, ploughing profits into lowering bills and service improvements, it added.
The Strand 2 Report On Management, Governance And Delivery is due to be published later this month.
PA
