South West Water: who owns it, who runs it and what the accounts show
South West Water Limited's person with significant control on the Companies House register is Pennon Group Plc. In the year to March 2026 South West Water Limited reported turnover of £939m.
- In the year to March 2026, South West Water had turnover of £939m, up 27.1% on the year before.
- It made a pre-tax profit of £125m, keeping £13.30 of every £100 of sales.
- It employed an average of 2,695 people, with staff costs of £152m.
- South West Water Limited is controlled by Pennon Group Plc, according to the Companies House register.
- These figures are from South West Water Limited's accounts for the year to March 2026, filed at Companies House on 7 August 2026.
- Registered name
- SOUTH WEST WATER LIMITED
- Company number
- 02366665
- Status
- Active
- Incorporated
- 1 April 1989
- Registered office area
- Exeter, Exmouth
- Industry code on the register
- 36000: Water collection, treatment and supply
- Accounts
- Single company accounts, this company only
- Accounts type
- Full accounts
- Latest accounts
- Year to March 2026, filed 7 August 2026
What does South West Water do?
South West Water provides water supply and sewerage services to homes and businesses in Devon and Cornwall, with parts of Dorset and Somerset. It earns money from customer bills, with prices and investment set by the regulator Ofwat. The company also runs neighbouring supply areas under brands including Bournemouth Water and Bristol Water. It is based in Exeter and owned by Pennon Group, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange.
In brief: water and sewerage · Devon and Cornwall · Ofwat-regulated bills · owned by Pennon
Source: Spark Intel editorial, checked 24 September 2026. Official website: southwestwater.co.uk.
Who owns South West Water?
The Companies House register records Pennon Group Plc as the person with significant control of South West Water Limited, company number 02366665. Pennon Group Plc is itself company number 02366640.
That places South West Water Limited inside a larger group. The accounts on this page are the company's own, not the wider group's.
The full ownership record is on the Companies House register. Control is given in the bands the register uses, not as exact shareholdings.
Who runs South West Water?
The Companies House register lists 9 current officers for South West Water Limited.
All 9 current officers
| Officer | Appointed |
|---|---|
| Jonathan Butterworth | 28 September 2017 |
| Loraine Woodhouse | 1 December 2022 |
| Dorothy Marie Burwell | 1 December 2022 |
| David Sproul | 1 July 2024 |
| Laura Flowerdew | 11 July 2024 |
| Andrea Margaret Blance | 8 April 2025 |
| Andrew Haines | 1 November 2025 |
| James Keith Haslett | 19 May 2026 |
| Emma Louise Hough | 1 September 2026 |
Every current officer, with appointment dates, is on the Companies House register.
What did South West Water file?
South West Water Limited reported turnover of £939m in the year to March 2026. That was up 27.1% on £739m the year before.
It reported 2,695 employees. The year before it reported 2,777.
It filed a pre-tax profit of £125m for the year, against a pre-tax loss of £61m the year before.
Staff costs came to £152m. That is an average of £56,000 a head. It ended the year with £250m at the bank and net assets of £1,084m.
| Measure | Mar 2026 | Mar 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Turnover | £939m | £739m |
| Pre-tax profit | £125m (filed) | -£61m (filed) |
| Employees | 2,695 | 2,777 |
| Staff costs | £152m | £152m |
| Average staff cost per head | £56,000 | £55,000 |
| Bank and cash | £250m | £327m |
| Net assets | £1,084m | £1,193m |
| Interest paid | £186m | |
| Interest received | £16m | |
| Directors' pay | £1.7m |
Read the accounts to March 2026 (PDF, Companies House) · every accounts filing
What do these figures mean? Turnover vs profit · Profit per £100 · Cash vs profit · Net assets
Are there any charges against South West Water?
South West Water Limited has registered 9 charges at Companies House, of which 2 are still outstanding. A charge is security a lender takes over a company's assets; one is satisfied when the lending behind it is repaid or released.
Both outstanding charges
| Charge holder | Created |
|---|---|
| Societe Generale, London Branch | 26 November 2015 |
| The Secretary of State for Defence | 13 July 2000 |
Each charge, with its holder and dates, is on the Companies House register.
How South West Water compares
Of the 10 water companies, South West Water is 9th on turnover, 3rd on profit margin and 4th on growth. United Utilities keeps the most of every £100 of sales: £29.37.
| Rank | Water companies | Turnover | Profit per £100 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Thames Water | £3,757m | £6.03 |
| 9th | South West Water | £939m | £13.30 |
| + 8 more water companies ranked |
Ranked by turnover. Profit per £100 is pre-tax profit for every £100 of turnover, shown only where the profit is filed.
South West Water files as South West Water Limited, whose person with significant control is Pennon Group Plc, with turnover of £939m in its latest filed year.
Questions about South West Water
What does South West Water do?
South West Water provides water supply and sewerage services to homes and businesses in Devon and Cornwall, with parts of Dorset and Somerset. It earns money from customer bills, with prices and investment set by the regulator Ofwat. The company also runs neighbouring supply areas under brands including Bournemouth Water and Bristol Water. It is based in Exeter and owned by Pennon Group, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange.
Is South West Water bigger than Thames Water?
No, by turnover. South West Water reported £939m in its latest accounts, against £3,757m at Thames Water. Our South West Water v Thames Water page compares the two on profit, margin, growth and staff. South West Water v Thames Water →
How does South West Water compare with its rivals?
By turnover, South West Water is 9th of the 10 companies in our battle of the water companies, behind Thames Water. The battle ranks them on turnover, pre-tax profit, margin, growth and net assets. The battle of the water companies →
Who owns South West Water?
The Companies House register records Pennon Group Plc as the person with significant control of South West Water Limited.
How much does South West Water make?
South West Water Limited reported turnover of £939m in the year to March 2026. It filed a pre-tax profit of £125m.
How many people work at South West Water?
South West Water Limited reported 2,695 employees in the year to March 2026.
Who runs South West Water?
The Companies House register lists 9 current officers for South West Water Limited. The full list, with appointment dates, is on the Companies House register.
- Figures come from South West Water Limited's filings at Companies House, company number 02366665, for the period shown at the top of the page.
- These are single company accounts: they cover this company alone, not any wider group.
- Pre-tax profit is the figure the company filed, for both years.
- A figure the filing does not disclose is shown as n/d. A zero in the filing is treated as not disclosed, never as nil.
- Rounding: below £0.1m in thousands, from £0.1m to £2m to one decimal place, from £2m to the nearest million.
- Ownership is shown in the control bands the register of people with significant control uses, not as exact shareholdings.
- Officers' names and appointment dates come from the Companies House register. Job titles come from the company's own website. The description of what the company does comes from its website, or is marked Spark Intel editorial where it is written from stable, checked facts, with the date either way.
Spark Intel, “South West Water: who owns it, who runs it and what the accounts show”, updated 6 November 2026. https://www.spark-intel.co.uk/companies/south-west-water/. Figures from Companies House filings for SOUTH WEST WATER LIMITED (02366665).
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