Employee trust share purchase

Northumbrian Water Group PLC
16 January 2006


                                                                 16 January 2006
                          Northumbrian Water Group plc

                                (the "Company")

The Company has been advised of the purchase of a total of 325,000 Ordinary 10p
shares, at an average price of 238.55 pence per share, by the Northumbrian Water
Share Scheme Trustees Limited (the "Trust") on 13 January 2006.

Following this purchase, the Trust has a holding of 1,006,296 Ordinary 10p
shares, representing 0.19% of the Company's issued share capital.

The Trust holds these shares in order to satisfy awards made under the Company's
LTIP, and so John Cuthbert and Chris Green, as executive directors of the
Company, and Ceri Jones and Graham Neave, as PDMRs of the Company, are potential
beneficiaries of some of these shares.

Name of contact and telephone number for queries

Jayne Powell, Assistant Company Secretary
Tel: [phone]




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