Holding(s) in Company

Northumbrian Water Group PLC
14 December 2005


NOTIFICATION OF MAJOR INTERESTS IN SHARES

1) Name of listed company

Northumbrian Water Group plc.

2) Name of shareholder with a major interest

FMR Corp.

Parent holding company of Fidelity Management & Research Company (FMRCO),
investment manager for US mutual funds, and Fidelity Management Trust Company
(FMTC), a US state chartered bank which acts as trustee or investment manager of
various pension and trust accounts.

Fidelity International Limited (FIL).

Parent holding for various direct and indirect subsidiaries, being
non-beneficial holders, including Fidelity Investment Services Ltd (FISL),
Fidelity Gestion (FIGEST), Fidelity Investments Advisory (Korea) Limited (FIA(K)
L), Fidelity Investments Management (Hong Kong) Limited (FIMHK), Fidelity
Pension Management (FPM) and Fidelity Investments International (FII),
investment managers for various non-US investment companies and institutional
clients.

The notifiable interests also comprise the notifiable interest of Mr Edward C
Johnson 3d, a principal shareholder of FMR Corp. and Fidelity International
Limited.

3) Please state whether notification indicates that it is in respect of holding
of the shareholder named in 2 above; in respect of a non-beneficial interest or
in the case of an individual holder if it is a holding of that person's spouse
or children under the age of 18

As 2.

4) Name of the registered holder(s) and, if more than one holder, the number of
shares held by each of them

Registered Name                     Shares held       Management Company
NORTHERN TRUST LONDON                     1,134,914   FPM
JP MORGAN, BOURNEMOUTH                      974,926   FPM
STATE STR BK AND TR CO LNDN (S              232,137   FPM
MELLON BANK                                 146,280   FPM
CHASE MANHTTN BK AG FRNKFRT (S              129,563   FPM
JP MORGAN CHASE BANK                         66,352   FPM
BANK OF NEW YORK BRUSSELS                    32,887   FPM
CHASE MANHATTAN LONDON                       18,310   FPM
DEXIA PRIVATBANK                             16,370   FPM
BROWN BROTHERS HARRIMAN & CO                982,144   FMTC
STATE STREET BANK AND TR CO                 911,738   FMTC
JP MORGAN CHASE BANK                        367,051   FMTC
BANK OF NEW YORK                            340,727   FMTC
NORTHERN TRUST CO                           286,876   FMTC
NORTHERN TRUST LONDON                       194,195   FMRCO
STATE STREET BANK AND TR CO                  85,796   FMRCO
MELLON BANK N.A.                             63,190   FMRCO
JP MORGAN, BOURNEMOUTH                      265,259   FISL
BROWN BROS HARRIMN LTD LUX               12,438,399   FIL
JP MORGAN, BOURNEMOUTH                      834,934   FIL
NORTHERN TRUST LONDON                       265,112   FIL
STATE STR BK AND TR CO LNDN (S              247,001   FIL
BANK OF NEW YORK BRUSSELS                   143,916   FIL
NATIONAL ASTL BK MELBOURNE                  125,900   FIL
STATE STREET BANK AND TR CO                 276,004   FICL
STATE STREET HONG KONG                       22,714   FIA(K)L
                            TOTAL        20,602,695

5) Number of shares/amount of stock acquired

N/A.

6) Percentage of issued class

N/A.

7) Number of shares/amount of stock disposed
2,462,145.

8) Percentage of issued class

Not disclosed.

9) Class of security

Ordinary shares of 10p.

10) Date of transaction

Not disclosed.

11) Date listed company informed

13 December 2005.

12) Total holding following this notification

20,602,695.

13) Total percentage holding of issued class following this notification

3.97%.

14) Any additional information

The notifiable interests include interest held on behalf of authorised unit
trust schemes in the U.K, notwithstanding the exemption from reporting pursuant
to section 209(1) (h) of the Companies Act 1985.

These notifications of disclosable interests constitute separate notifications
of interest in the shares and are combined solely for the purposes of clarity
and efficiency. Nothing herein should be taken to indicate that FMR Corp. and
its direct and indirect subsidiaries, Fidelity International Limited and its
direct and indirect subsidiaries or Mr Edward C Johnson 3d act as a group or in
concert in respect of the disclosed interests, or that they are required to
submit these notifications on a joint basis.

The disclosable interests arise under section 208(4)(b) of the Act, namely where
a person, not being the registered holder, is entitled to exercise a right
conferred by the holding of the shares or to control the exercise of such
rights, or under section 203 of the Act respectively.

15) Name of contact and telephone number for queries

Martin Parker, Company Secretary, 0191 301 6746.

16) Name and signature of duly authorised officer of the listed company
responsible for making this notification

Martin Parker, Company Secretary.

Date of notification
14 December 2005



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