Preferred bidder status

United Utilities Group PLC

19 February 2009

               UNITED UTILITIES SELECTED AS PREFERRED BIDDER FOR               
                   ADELAIDE DESALINATION OPERATIONS CONTRACT                   

United Utilities has been selected by the South Australian Water Corporation as
preferred bidder for a desalination operations contract in Adelaide, as part of
the AdelaideAqua consortium. The consortium comprises Acciona Agua, Abigroup,
McConnell Dowell and United Utilities Australia.

The design and construction phase of the project is expected to commence,
subject to major development approval, in the near future with Acciona Agua,
Abigroup and McConnell Dowell building a new desalination seawater plant,
scheduled to deliver first water in December 2010.

On completion of the plant in mid-2011, it is intended that United Utilities
Australia will operate this new facility under a separate 20-year operations
and maintenance agreement via its joint venture with Acciona Agua. United
Utilities will have a minimal investment requirement.

Chief Executive of United Utilities, Philip Green, said:

"We are very pleased to have been awarded preferred bidder status for this
operations contract, which builds on our existing presence in Australia and
utilises our core skills to deliver further growth."

United Utilities' contacts

For further information please contact:

Philip Green, Chief Executive                        [phone]     
                                                                             
Tim Weller, Chief Financial Officer                  [phone]     
                                                                             
Gaynor Kenyon, Communications Director               [phone]     
                                                                             
Rob Hughes, Investor Relations Manager               [phone]     
                                                                             
Dominic Fry / Tom Murray, Tulchan Communications     [phone]    

Notes

In 2007, United Utilities Australia and Acciona Agua formed a joint venture
which combines Acciona Agua's global experience in providing large scale
desalination plants with the country-specific market knowledge and operating
skills of United Utilities Australia.

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United Utilities Group's ordinary shares trade on the London Stock Exchange and
its ADRs, each equal to two ordinary shares, trade over the counter under the
Trading Symbol "UUGRY".