Holding in Company

United Utilities PLC
19 February 2001


Letter to Company Announcements Office


               NOTIFICATION RECEIVED OF INTEREST OF SHARES

We have received a notification dated 15 February 2001, from the Prudential plc
and its associated company The Prudential Assurance Company Limited that the
notifiable interest of both entities in the share capital of United Utilities
PLC had decreased to 3.05% represented by 16,869,608 shares. The detail is as
follows:

Prudential plc
                                             
PRUCLT HSBC GIS NOM (UK) PAC AC              16,806,506
PRUCLT HSBC GIS NOM (UK) PPL AC                  60,702 
PRUDENTIAL HOLBORN PENSIONS LD                    2,400

The Prudential Assurance Company Ltd

PRUCLT HSBC GIS NOM (UK) PAC AC              16,806,506
PRUCLT HSBC GIS NOM (UK) PPL AC                  60,702


United Utilities' ordinary shares trade on the London Stock Exchange and its
ADRs, each equal to two ordinary shares, trade on the New York Stock Exchange
under the Trading Symbol 'UU'.


Letter from United Utilities