{
  "last_checked": "2026-06-01",
  "scope": "England and Wales water and wastewater company watch notes. This is a public guide, not a billing-boundary dataset.",
  "sources": [
    {
      "label": "Ofwat Water Company Performance Report 2024-25",
      "url": "https://www.ofwat.gov.uk/regulated-companies/company-obligations/outcomes/water-company-performance-report-2024-25/"
    },
    {
      "label": "Environment Agency environmental performance report 2024",
      "url": "https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/water-and-sewerage-companies-in-england-environmental-performance-report-2024"
    },
    {
      "label": "CCW Household Complaint Handling Report 2025",
      "url": "https://www.ccw.org.uk/publication/household-complaint-handling-report-2025/"
    },
    {
      "label": "Water UK supplier finder",
      "url": "https://www.water.org.uk/advice-for-customers/find-your-supplier"
    }
  ],
  "companies": [
    {
      "id": "thames-water",
      "company": "Thames Water",
      "area": "London and Thames Valley",
      "services": ["water", "wastewater"],
      "watch_level": "serious concern",
      "simple_note": "EA rated Thames Water one star in 2024. Ofwat says Thames is in turnaround oversight and needs material improvement in areas including leakage and internal sewer flooding.",
      "customer_use": "Use this as context only. For a bill dispute, still start with readings, tariff, meter, leak, support, and company response evidence."
    },
    {
      "id": "southern-water",
      "company": "Southern Water",
      "area": "South East coast",
      "services": ["water", "wastewater"],
      "watch_level": "watch",
      "simple_note": "EA rated Southern Water two stars in 2024. Ofwat notes improvements in pollution and leakage from 2023-24 levels, but long duration interruptions are a concern.",
      "customer_use": "Check whether the issue is billing, supply interruption, wastewater, pollution, or drinking water before choosing the route."
    },
    {
      "id": "south-west-water",
      "company": "South West Water",
      "area": "South West",
      "services": ["water", "wastewater"],
      "watch_level": "watch",
      "simple_note": "EA rated South West Water two stars and said it performed worst for total sewerage pollution incidents per 10,000km sewer in 2024. CCW rated it poor on complaint volume and handling metrics.",
      "customer_use": "For unresolved billing and service complaints, use company first, then CCW. For pollution, use the Environment Agency route."
    },
    {
      "id": "yorkshire-water",
      "company": "Yorkshire Water",
      "area": "Yorkshire",
      "services": ["water", "wastewater"],
      "watch_level": "watch",
      "simple_note": "EA rated Yorkshire Water two stars in 2024. CCW rated it poor on complaint volume and handling metrics. Ofwat announced a GBP 40m wastewater enforcement package.",
      "customer_use": "Do not use enforcement context as proof of an individual bill error. Use it to frame careful questions."
    },
    {
      "id": "united-utilities",
      "company": "United Utilities",
      "area": "North West",
      "services": ["water", "wastewater"],
      "watch_level": "watch",
      "simple_note": "EA rated United Utilities two stars in 2024. Ofwat reports per-capita consumption improvement over 2020-25, while EA listed it among companies significantly below target for total sewerage pollution incidents.",
      "customer_use": "Keep pollution, abstraction, billing, and service issues separate by source, date, and regulator."
    },
    {
      "id": "anglian-water",
      "company": "Anglian Water",
      "area": "East of England",
      "services": ["water", "wastewater"],
      "watch_level": "watch",
      "simple_note": "EA rated Anglian Water two stars in 2024. Ofwat says Anglian met its adjusted per-capita consumption commitment in 2024-25 but needs improvement on pollution incidents.",
      "customer_use": "For advertising claims, use ASA evidence. For pollution, use EA. For bills, use the customer complaint route."
    },
    {
      "id": "wessex-water",
      "company": "Wessex Water",
      "area": "Wessex region",
      "services": ["water", "wastewater"],
      "watch_level": "watch",
      "simple_note": "EA rated Wessex Water two stars in 2024. Ofwat says Wessex has strong treatment works compliance and customer satisfaction, while leakage and pollution incidents need improvement.",
      "customer_use": "Use official company and regulator data to avoid overstating a single performance issue."
    },
    {
      "id": "severn-trent",
      "company": "Severn Trent Water",
      "area": "Midlands and parts of Wales",
      "services": ["water", "wastewater"],
      "watch_level": "comparatively stronger",
      "simple_note": "EA rated Severn Trent four stars in 2024 and said it was the only company to consistently achieve four stars in the last six years. Ofwat still expects pollution incident reductions.",
      "customer_use": "A stronger source note does not stop an individual household complaint if the customer's evidence is sound."
    },
    {
      "id": "dwr-cymru",
      "company": "Dwr Cymru Welsh Water",
      "area": "Most of Wales",
      "services": ["water", "wastewater"],
      "watch_level": "watch",
      "simple_note": "Ofwat says Dwr Cymru needs material improvement in several areas, including supply interruptions and leakage. Ofwat's Dwr Cymru decision covered misreported leakage and per-capita consumption data and customer redress.",
      "customer_use": "In Wales, separate consumer complaint routes from Natural Resources Wales environmental reporting."
    },
    {
      "id": "hafren-dyfrdwy",
      "company": "Hafren Dyfrdwy",
      "area": "North East and Mid Wales",
      "services": ["water", "wastewater"],
      "watch_level": "comparatively stronger",
      "simple_note": "Ofwat says Hafren Dyfrdwy has shown consistently strong performance in several areas, including pollution incidents and drinking-water quality, but needs to improve internal sewer flooding.",
      "customer_use": "Use the exact company on the bill and the exact issue before choosing CCW, DWI, NRW, or Ofwat."
    },
    {
      "id": "northumbrian-water",
      "company": "Northumbrian Water",
      "area": "North East and Essex/Suffolk water services",
      "services": ["water", "wastewater"],
      "watch_level": "watch",
      "simple_note": "EA rated Northumbrian two stars in 2024. Ofwat says it has strong performance in multiple areas and ended the period as a top performer in water supply interruptions, but pollution incidents need improvement.",
      "customer_use": "Check whether the property has Northumbrian wastewater service or Essex and Suffolk water service before using company data."
    },
    {
      "id": "water-only-companies",
      "company": "Water-only companies",
      "area": "Affinity, Portsmouth, South East, South Staffs, SES, Bristol and other water-only areas",
      "services": ["water"],
      "watch_level": "mixed",
      "simple_note": "Water-only companies do not operate sewerage for those areas. Wastewater performance may sit with a separate sewerage company.",
      "customer_use": "Use the supplier finder or the bill before assuming which company controls water, wastewater, pollution, or drainage."
    }
  ]
}