Our register holds (in paper form) copies of:
- the original Instruments of Appointment of water undertakers and sewerage undertakers, including full scale maps of the areas of appointment, and any amendments made to them
- the original Infrastructure Provider Project Licence(s) and any amendments
- the original Water Supply and/or Sewerage Licences and any amendments made to them
They may be inspected at:
Ofwat,
7 Hill Street,
Birmingham,
B5 4UA
The register is available for inspection Monday to Friday between the hours of:
- 9.30am and 1pm
- 2pm and 4.30pm
It is not available to view when the office is closed on public or other holidays or by reason of an emergency or industrial action.
The fees payable for an inspection are:
- where an appointment has been arranged at least 24 hours in advance: £0
- in all other cases: £20
To arrange an advance appointment to view the register please call 0121 644 7600.
Each company has also received a copy of its own appointment or licence and the amendments made to it.
Where there have been amendments, the documents listed below are copies of our internal working documents based on the original appointments or licences and the amendments made to them. They are not intended to be a substitute for the information held on our Register. Every reasonable effort is made to make these versions accurate and up to date, but no responsibility for their accuracy and correctness, or for any consequences of relying on them, is accepted by Ofwat.
Please also check the list of licence amendments to see amendments that have been made to the relevant appointment or licence since the dates listed below.
Water company appointments (Instruments of Appointment)
Water companies operating the public water networks hold appointments as water undertakers, and those operating the public wastewater networks hold appointments as sewerage undertakers, for the purposes of the Water Industry Act 1991. They also supply water and wastewater services direct to household customers (and in some cases to non-household customers) who are connected to their networks.
| Regional water and sewerage undertakers | Latest amendment included |
|---|---|
| Anglian Water Services Limited (e, x) | February 2024 |
| Dwr Cymru Cyfyngedig (w) | February 2024 |
| Hafren Dyfrdwy Cyfyngedig (w) | February 2024 |
| Northumbrian Water Limited (e, x) | February 2024 |
| Severn Trent Water Limited (e, x) | February 2024 |
| Southern Water Services Limited (e, x) | February 2024 |
| South West Water Limited (e, x) | February 2024 |
| Thames Water Utilities Limited (e, x) | February 2024 |
| United Utilities Water Limited (e, x) | February 2024 |
| Wessex Water Services Limited (e, x) | February 2024 |
| Yorkshire Water Services Limited (e) | February 2024 |
| Regional water only undertakers | Latest amendment included |
|---|---|
| Affinity Water Limited (e, x) | February 2024 |
| Portsmouth Water Limited (e, x) | February 2024 |
| South East Water Limited (e, x) | February 2024 |
| South Staffordshire Water plc (e, x) | February 2024 |
| Sutton and East Surrey Water Plc (e, x) | February 2024 |
| Small water and sewerage undertakers | Latest amendment included |
|---|---|
| Albion Water Ltd (e) | February 2024 |
| Albion Eco Limited (water only) (w) | February 2024 |
| County Water Limited (sewerage only) (e) | February 2024 |
| ESP Water Limited (e, x) | February 2024 |
| Icosa Water Services Limited (e) | February 2024 |
| Independent Water Networks Ltd (e) | February 2024 |
| Leep Networks (Water) Ltd (e) | February 2024 |
| Severn Trent Services (Water and Sewerage) Ltd (sewerage only) (e, x) | February 2024 |
| Veolia Water Projects Ltd (e) | February 2024 |
Notes:
e = water and/or sewerage undertakers whose areas are wholly or mainly in England.
w = water and/or sewerage undertakers whose areas are wholly or mainly in Wales.
x = water and/or sewerage undertakers serving retail exit areas who are normally prohibited from providing water supplies or wastewater services direct to non-household premises (see The Water and Sewerage Undertakers (Exit from Non-household Retail Market) Regulations 2016 (SI 2016/744) ). In retail exit areas only water supply and/or sewerage licensees can normally provide water supplies or wastewater services direct to non-household premises.
Infrastructure Provider Project Licences
A company can be granted an infrastructure provider project licence to carry out a large or complex water or wastewater infrastructure project that has been specified under the Water Industry (Specified Infrastructure Projects) (English Undertakers) Regulations 2013 (SI 2013/1582)
| Infrastructure Provider | Latest amendment included |
|---|---|
| Bazalgette Tunnel Limited (Tideway) | May 2022 |
Water supply and/or sewerage licences (WSSL)
Since 1 April 2017, holders of new water supply and/or sewerage licences (WSSL) can provide supplies of water and sewerage services to eligible non-household premises. Some licensees may be limited to providing water supplies or sewerage services to their own sites and those of persons associated with them (known as self-supply). There are two types of licence – water supply licences and sewerage licences, each of which can have one or more different authorisations.
Water supply licences can currently have:
- an (English) retail authorisation: this allows the licensee to supply water to non-household premises using the public water networks operated by water undertakers whose areas are wholly or mainly in England.
- a (Welsh) restricted retail authorisation: this allows the licensee to supply water to large non-household premises (consuming at least 50 megalitres of water a year) using the public water networks operated by water undertakers whose areas are wholly or mainly in Wales.
- an (English) wholesale authorisation: this currently allows the licensee to introduce water into the public water networks of water undertakers whose areas are wholly or mainly in England in order to supply the licensee’s own customers if their non-household premises consume at least 5 megalitres of water a year.
- a (Welsh) supplementary authorisation: this allows the licensee to introduce water into the public water networks of water undertakers whose areas are wholly or mainly in Wales in order to supply the licensee’s own customers if their non-household premises consume at least 50 megalitres of water a year.
Sewerage licences can currently have:
- an (English) retail authorisation: this allows the licensee to provide sewerage services to non-household premises using the public wastewater networks operated by sewerage undertakers whose areas are wholly or mainly in England.
Standard licence conditions apply to water supply and/or sewerage licences (to the extent set out in the individual licences).
Licences issued before April 1 2017 were included on an A2 Schedule. Those issued after this date have A2 directions for the Licensee’s water supply and sewerage licence. These A2 directions are listed in the table below.
| Water supply and/or sewerage licensees | Latest amendment included |
|---|---|
| Advanced Demand Side Management Limited Water supply licence (r) and Sewerage licence (r) |
Granting of original licence March 16 2017 |
| Anglian Water Business (National) Limited Water supply licence (r, rr) and Sewerage licence (r) |
Granting of original licence September 30 2016 |
| Arla Food UK PLC Water supply licence (ss) and Sewerage licence (ss) A2 schedule for water supply and A2 schedule for sewerage |
Granting of original licence 15 January 2021 |
| Blackpool Borough Council Water supply licence (ss) and sewerage licence (ss) |
Granting of original licence June 7 2018 |
| Boots UK Limited
Water supply licence (ss) and Sewerage licence (ss) |
Granting of original licence 7 March 2023. |
| British Telecommunications PLC Water supply licence (ss) and Sewerage licence (ss) A2 schedule for water supply and A2 schedule for sewerage |
Granting of original licence 18th December 2018 |
| Cambrian Utilities Limited Water supply licence (r, rr) and Sewerage licence (r) A2 schedule for water supply and A2 schedule for sewerage |
Granting of original licence July 21 2017 |
| Castle Water Limited Water supply licence (r, rr) and Sewerage licence (r) |
Granting of original licence September 30 2016 |
| Castle Water (South East) Limited (formerly Invicta Water Limited) Water supply licence (r) and Sewerage licence (r) |
Granting of original licence February 23 2017 |
| Castle Water (Southern) Limited (formerly Affinity for Business (Retail) Limited) Water supply licence (r, rr) and Sewerage licence (r) |
Granting of original licence November 9 2016 |
| Clear Business Water Limited Water supply licence (r) and Sewerage licence (r) |
Granting of original licence September 30 2016 |
| Coca-Cola European Partners Water supply licence (ss) and Sewerage licence (ss) A2 schedule for water supply and A2 schedule for sewerage |
Granting of original licence March 7 2018 |
| ConservAqua Limited Water supply licence (r, rr) and Sewerage licence (r) A2 schedule for water supply and A2 schedule for sewerage |
Granting of original licence June 11 2020 |
| David Lloyd Leisure Ltd Water supply licence (ss) and Sewerage licence (ss) A2 schedule for water supply and A2 schedule for sewerage |
Granting of original licence October 2 2020 |
| Elis UK Ltd (formerly Berendsen UK Limited) Water supply licence (ss) and Sewerage licence (ss) A2 schedule for water supply and A2 schedule for sewerage |
Granting of original licence November 9 2018 |
| Everflow Limited Water supply licence (r) and Sewerage licence (r) |
Granting of original licence March 17 2017 |
| First Business Water Water supply licence (r) and sewerage licence (r) A2 schedule for water supply and A2 direction for sewerage |
Granting of original licence November 16 2017 |
| Greene King Brewing and Retailing Limited Water supply licence (ss) and Sewerage licence (ss) A2 schedule for water supply and A2 schedule for sewerage |
Granting of original licence March 15 2017 |
| Heineken UK Limited
Water supply licence (ss) and Sewerage licence (ss) |
Granting of original licence November 9 2018 |
| J Sainsbury PLC Water supply licence (ss) and Sewerage licence (ss) A2 schedule for water supply and A2 schedule for sewerage |
Granting of original licence 29 June 2020 |
| John Lewis PLC Water supply licence (ss) and Sewerage licence (ss) A2 schedule for water supply and A2 schedule for sewerage |
Granting of original licence October 15 2019 |
| Kellogg Company of Great Britain Water supply licence (ss) and Sewerage licence (ss) A2 schedule for water supply and A2 schedule for sewerage |
Granting of original licence October 21 2019 |
| Marston’s PLC Water supply licence (ss) and sewerage licence (ss) A2 schedule for water supply and A2 schedule for sewerage |
Granting of original licence November 6 2017 |
| Nottingham City Council Water supply licence(ss) and Sewerage licence (ss) A2 schedule for water supply and A2 schedule for sewerage |
Granting of original licence 8 July 2019 |
| Olympos Water Limited Water supply licence (r, rr) and sewerage licence (r) A2 schedule for water supply and A2 direction for sewerage |
Granting of original licence June 13 2019 |
| Pennon Water Services Limited Water supply licence (r, rr) and Sewerage licence (r) |
Granting of original licence October 3 2016 |
| Scottish Water Business Stream Limited Water supply licence (r, rr) and Sewerage licence (r) |
Granting of original licence October 19 2016 |
| Sefton Council Water supply licence (ss) and Sewerage licence (ss) A2 schedule for water supply and A2 schedule for sewerage |
Granting of original licence 14 July 2020 |
| Smarta Water Water supply licence (r, rr) and Sewerage licence (r) A2 schedule for water supply and A2 schedule for sewerage |
Granting of original licence May 18 2018 |
| Stonegate Pub Company Limited Water supply licence (ss) and Sewerage licence (ss) A2 schedule for water supply and A2 schedule for sewerage |
Granting of original licence November 6 2018 |
| Sutton and East Surrey Water Services Limited Water supply licence (r, rr) and Sewerage licence (r) |
(r)Granting of original licence September 30 2016 (Reissued to reflect registered company address of the licensee on March 22 2017) |
| Veolia Water Retail (UK) Limited Water supply licence (r, rr) and Sewerage licence (r) |
Granting of original licence February 24 2017 |
| The Water Retail Company Water supply licence (r, rr) and Sewerage licence (r) |
Granting of original licence February 21 2017 |
| Water Plus Limited (formerly United Utilities Water Sales Ltd) Water supply licence (r, rr) and Sewerage licence (r) |
Granting of original licence 30 September 2016 |
| Water 2 Business Limited (joint venture between Bristol Water and Wessex) Water supply licence (r, rr) and Sewerage licence (r) |
Granting of original licence September 30 2016 (Reissued to reflect registered company address of the licensee on March 22 2017) |
| Waterscan Limited Water supply licence (r, rr) and Sewerage licence (r) |
Granting of original licence January 30 2017 (Reissued to reflect registered company address of the licensee on March 22 2017) |
| Whitbread Group PLC Water supply licence (ss) and sewerage licence (ss) A2 schedule for water supply and A2 direction for sewerage |
Granting of original licence August 30 2017 |
| Yu Water Limited Water supply licence (r, rr) and Sewerage Licence (r) A2 schedule for water supply and A2 direction for sewerage |
Granting of original licence (water) December 4 2017Granting of sewerage licence December 4 2018 |
Notes:
r = retail authorisation
rr = restricted retail authorisation
w = wholesale authorisation
s = supplementary authorisation
ss = retail authorisation restricted to self-supply
Overview of licence conditions
Licence conditions vary depending on the type of appointment / licence and the individual circumstances of the appointee / licensee. They can include provisions that:
- allow Ofwat to set price controls
- prohibit undue preference or undue discrimination in the setting of charges
- sets out details of the accounts and financial information which companies are required to produce
- require certain information to be made available to customers
- impose restrictions in relation to transactions with owners and associated companies (the financial “ring-fence”)
- govern interactions with other appointees / licensees (for example, in relation to the transfer of customers)
- allow Ofwat to require the provision of information we reasonably need to carry out our functions
- set out the circumstances in which appointments / licences can be revoked
- require the payment of licence fees to cover the operating costs of Ofwat and the Consumer Council for Water