The industry we regulate
We regulate sectors with a combined turnover of about £10 billion every year.
There are 34 regulated companies in the water and sewerage sectors:
- 10 regional companies provide both water and sewerage services.
- 11 regional companies providing water services only.
- 6 local companies providing either water or sewerage services or both.
- 7 water supply licensees offering water and sewerage services to large use customers who can access competition.
The majority of customers are served by monopoly suppliers for their water and sewerage services.
The companies:
- provide clean drinking water and take away waste water for more than 54 million consumers each day
- manage a pipe network that is 335,000 km long, with more than 24 million connections
- have invested around £98 billion since 1989
The water and sewerage companies were privatised in 1989. They raise money on the financial markets. Some of the companies are subsidiaries of larger groups or international businesses. You can find out more about the industry’s ownership and the companies’ financial structures in the industry structure section.
