 Dr Hargreaves said that he would step down in November |
Scottish Water's chief executive is to step down at the end of the year, it has been announced. Dr Jon Hargreaves is taking early retirement after five years in the top job and will leave in November.
Dr Hargreaves said he had been considering the move for some time and told Scottish Water of his intentions last year.
The announcement came days after the annual report of the Water Industry Commissioner for Scotland.
Dr Hargreaves said: "Today I look at a company in great shape and although there is much still to do, it is delivering for the people of Scotland with better drinking water quality, a cleaner environment, and our highest levels of customer service.
New chapter
"After 16 years running major businesses I feel now is the time to hand over the reins to start a new chapter in the life of Scottish Water."
The Water Industry Commissioner for Scotland recently said that while customer service in Scotland was still not as good as in England it had improved "considerably".
The report also said household bills had risen by 3% less than inflation while bills south of the border had risen by 7%.
Cabinet secretary for finance John Swinney paid tribute to Dr Hargreaves.
He said: "He provided the strong leadership that was critically important to bringing the three pre-existing water authorities together and to securing rapid improvements in efficiency in Scottish Water's operations."
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