UK water suppliers are the businesses that provide water and/or sewerage for domestic use in Britain. There are different companies that do this depending on where you live in the country.
Just as there are location specific companies if you were looking for a CCTV drain survey Leicester, such as https://www.wilkinson-env.co.uk/drainage-services-cctv-surveys-midlands/cctv-drain-surveys/leicester/, there are particular companies tasked with taking responsibility for customers in agreed geographical regions.
Because of this, consumers cannot change to another one of the 25 water suppliers in Wales, England, and Scotland if they do not live in the right area.
Services provided
Water suppliers have a duty to give customers a water supply that is at a suitable pressure and continuously supplied for everyday use. It must be safe enough to drink and be of a quality that is acceptable to the DWI regulatory body covering England and Wales, otherwise known as the Drinking Water Inspectorate. Inspectors test water suppliers regularly to make sure that water safety standards are being met.
This testing covers chemical, metal and bacteria content, along with how water tastes and looks, and whether water pressure is sufficient to fill a 4.5 litre – equivalent to one gallon – container within a set 30-second period.
Water costs
Water suppliers are allowed to charge consumers water rates to cover costs and these rates are OFWAT regulated. Suppliers can suggest prices every five years, and the water regulator can decide what costs are allowed to cover everyday services, along with work to maintain or improve the infrastructure.
