ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti fˈaɪv, lˌaɪənˈeɪz ɐkwˈaɪɚd ˌɛndˌʌbəljˌuːdʒˈiː æɾə kˈɔst ʌv pˈaʊnd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd twˈɛnti θɹˈiː ˈɛm. ðə fˈɑːloʊɪŋ jˈɪɹ, ɪt mˈɜːdʒd ˌɛnˌiːdˈʌbəljˌuː ˌɪntʊ ˌɛndˌʌbəljˌuːˈɛl—wˌɪtʃ ðˈʌs bɪkˌeɪm ɹᵻspˈɑːnsᵻbəl fɔːɹ ˈɔːl wˈɔːɾɚ səplˈaɪ ɪnðə ɹˈiːdʒən, ɛksˈɛpt fɚðə hˈɑːɹtlɪpˌuːl ˈɛɹiə—ænd ɪn tˈuː θˈaʊzənd ɪt mˈɜːdʒd ˈɛsɪks ænd sˈʌfək wˈɔːɾɚɹ ˌɪntʊ ˌɛndˌʌbəljˌuːˈɛl.
In 1995, Lyonnaise acquired NWG at a cost of £823m. The following year, it merged NEW into NWL—which thus became responsible for all water supply in the region, except for the Hartlepool area—and in 2000 it merged Essex & Suffolk Water into NWL.