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.

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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."

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.

(GK/BMcC)