Experts who help the drinking water industry achieve the highest quality standards have cemented their own levels of excellence after having a highly sought-after standard certificate upgraded.

Water quality engineering firm Panton McLeod has seen its quality standard upgraded to the ISO 9001:2008 level following a surveillance visit by industry inspectors.

The firm, which has offices in Nottingham and the Scottish Borders, is one of a handful of firms in the UK offering specialist cleaning services to the water sector. Three years ago it earned its first prestigious ISO 9001 certificate after a dedicated drive to enhance its business practices across the UK.

The award is a mark of excellence which reassures clients – including utility giants like Scottish Water and the main privatised English water companies such as Severn Trent Water – that Panton McLeod operates at the highest levels.

Highest standards at Panton McLeod

The standard requires that annual surveillance visits are conducted by external auditors and, following the latest audit, the firm was delighted to have the certificate upgraded to the 2008 level – the most up-to-date standard available.

Gary Flockhart, Panton McLeod’s Safety, Health, Environmental and Quality (SHEQ) Manager, said: “When we were first awarded the ISO 9001 certificate in 2006, it was a great seal of approval for Panton McLeod. We had worked hard to enhance the business across the UK and the certificate cemented the fact that we adhered to the strictest possible standards.

“Since then, we have constantly strived to match these standards across all of our operations. We’re absolutely delighted that during their recent audit, the auditors have recommended an upgrade of our certification to the latest 2008 level as we had carried out the necessary internal audits, assessments and amendments to ensure that we complied with the 2008 standard.   

“It’s another indication of the high standards of service we offer to our clients across the water industries in the UK and North America.”

Successful water quality engineers

Paul Henderson, operations director at the firm, added that the upgrade was a testament to the hard work of Panton McLeod’s team of engineers, who work across Scotland, the UK and at the firm’s US division Panton McLeod Americas.

He said: “Since achieving the award three years ago, we have made many changes that have allowed us to go about our business day-to-day far more effectively.

“We now think carefully about what we are doing, why we are doing it and how we can do it better. I have been genuinely impressed – and very pleased – with the way that thinking has improved our business.

“To be upgraded to the most recent standard is very pleasing and, of course, we hope this will help us win more business and better satisfy new and existing customers.”

Scottish PR success for Panton McLeod

Panton McLeod has spent 15 years developing highly specialised cleaning compounds and cleaning techniques which make it the UK’s foremost expert in cleaning drinking water structures.

These include the hidden infrastructure of the water industry which are rarely seen by the general public like service reservoirs – huge underground water storage tanks which form an essential part of the public supply network.

Because the drinking water industry is so highly regulated, it is essential drinking water structures are kept meticulously clean without the use of cleaning chemicals or procedures that could compromise water quality.

Most recently Panton McLeod has helped provide services for Severn Trent Water as part of the Frankley project – a massive water works upgrade in the Midlands.

The firm has previously worked with some of the biggest names in the UK’s water industry, including carrying out a vital part of Scottish Water’s £120 million Katrine Project to clean a new service reservoir near Glasgow.

Note to Editors

The International Organisation of Standardisation, (ISO) is a worldwide organisation that develops many different kinds of Standards.

ISO 9000 is a series of documents that define requirements for the Quality Management System Standard. The Standard is based on these 8 underlying principles:

• Customer focus
• Leadership
• Involvement of people
• A process approach
• A systems approach to management
• Continual improvement
• A factual approach to decision making Mutually beneficial supplier relationships

To achieve accreditation, Panton McLeod underwent a rigorous assessment by NQA, who are accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS).