Report of the Auditors on the Group financial statements

Independent auditors’ report to the members of Northumbrian Water Group plc

We have audited the Group financial statements of Northumbrian Water Group plc for the year ended 31 March 2009 which comprise the Consolidated income statement, the Consolidated statement of recognised income and expense, the Consolidated balance sheet, the Consolidated cash flow statement, and the related notes 1 to 29. These Group financial statements have been prepared under the accounting policies set out therein.

We have reported separately on the parent Company financial statements of Northumbrian Water Group plc for the year ended 31 March 2009 and on the information in the Directors’ remuneration report that is described as having been audited.

This report is made solely to the Company’s members, as a body, in accordance with section 235 of the Companies Act 1985. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the Company’s members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditors’ report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the Company and the Company’s members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

Respective responsibilities of directors and auditors

The directors’ responsibilities for preparing the Annual Report and the Group financial statements in accordance with applicable United Kingdom law and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as adopted by the European Union are set out in the Statement of directors’ responsibilities.

Our responsibility is to audit the Group financial statements in accordance with relevant legal and regulatory requirements and International Standards on Auditing (UK and Ireland).

We report to you our opinion as to whether the Group financial statements give a true and fair view and whether the Group financial statements have been properly prepared in accordance with the Companies Act 1985 and Article 4 of the IAS Regulation. We also report to you whether, in our opinion, the information given in the Directors’ report and business review is consistent with the financial statements.

In addition we report to you if, in our opinion, we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit, or if information specified by law regarding directors’ remuneration and other transactions is not disclosed.

We review whether the Corporate governance statement reflects the Company’s compliance with the nine provisions of the 2006 Combined Code specified for our review by the Listing Rules of the Financial Services Authority, and we report if it does not. We are not required to consider whether the Board’s statements on internal control cover all risks and controls, or form an opinion on the effectiveness of the Group’s corporate governance procedures or its risk and control procedures.

We read other information contained in the Annual Report and consider whether it is consistent with the audited Group financial statements. The other information comprises only Highlights, At a glance, the Chairman’s statement, the Directors’ report and business review, Appendix to the directors’ report and business review, Board directors’ biographies, the unaudited part of the Directors’ remuneration report and Shareholder information. We consider the implications for our report if we become aware of any apparent misstatements or material inconsistencies with the Group financial statements. Our responsibilities do not extend to any other information.