Southern Water: who owns it, who runs it and what the accounts show
Southern Water Services Limited's person with significant control on the Companies House register is Sws Holdings Limited. In the year to March 2026 Southern Water Services Limited reported turnover of £1,443m.
- In the year to March 2026, Southern Water had turnover of £1,443m, up 45.4% on the year before.
- It made a pre-tax loss of £139m, losing £9.66 of every £100 of sales.
- It employed an average of 3,109 people, with staff costs of £217m.
- Southern Water Services Limited is controlled by Sws Holdings Limited, according to the Companies House register.
- These figures are from Southern Water Services Limited's accounts for the year to March 2026, filed at Companies House on 10 September 2026.
- Registered name
- SOUTHERN WATER SERVICES LIMITED
- Company number
- 02366670
- Status
- Active
- Incorporated
- 1 April 1989
- Registered office area
- Brighton
- 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 10 September 2026
What does Southern Water do?
Southern Water supplies drinking water and collects and treats wastewater for homes and businesses in Kent, Sussex, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. It makes its money from water and sewerage bills, with prices, investment and performance targets set by the regulator Ofwat over five-year periods. In parts of its region it provides only wastewater services, with other companies supplying drinking water.
In brief: water and wastewater · regulated bills · south-east England · Ofwat-regulated
Source: Spark Intel editorial, checked 24 September 2026. Official website: southernwater.co.uk.
Who owns Southern Water?
The Companies House register records Sws Holdings Limited as the person with significant control of Southern Water Services Limited, company number 02366670. Sws Holdings Limited is itself company number 04324499.
That places Southern Water Services 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 Southern Water?
The Companies House register lists 11 current officers for Southern Water Services Limited.
All 11 current officers
| Officer | Appointed |
|---|---|
| Malcolm Charles Cooper | 23 December 2019 |
| William David George Price | 8 September 2021 |
| Lawrence Karl Gosden | 1 July 2022 |
| Stuart Neil Ledger | 3 January 2023 |
| Professor Kerensa Jane Jennings | 31 May 2023 |
| Christèle Delbé | 31 May 2023 |
| Neil Robert Vint Corrigall | 29 November 2023 |
| Neil Craig McArthur | 1 October 2024 |
| Andrew Oswell Bede Davies | 6 May 2026 |
| Sandra Faye Redding | 22 July 2026 |
| Stephen Glynn Hurrell | 28 August 2026 |
Every current officer, with appointment dates, is on the Companies House register.
What did Southern Water file?
Southern Water Services Limited reported turnover of £1,443m in the year to March 2026. That was up 45.4% on £993m the year before.
It reported 3,109 employees. The year before it reported 2,741.
It filed a pre-tax loss of £139m for the year, against a pre-tax loss of £89m the year before.
Staff costs came to £217m. That is an average of £70,000 a head. It ended the year with £1,159m at the bank and net assets of £1,610m.
| Measure | Mar 2026 | Mar 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Turnover | £1,443m | £993m |
| Pre-tax profit | -£139m (filed) | -£89m (filed) |
| Employees | 3,109 | 2,741 |
| Staff costs | £217m | £178m |
| Average staff cost per head | £70,000 | £65,000 |
| Bank and cash | £1,159m | £557m |
| Net assets | £1,610m | £871m |
| Interest paid | £429m | |
| Interest received | £122m | |
| Directors' pay | £1.9m |
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 Southern Water?
Southern Water Services Limited has registered 4 charges at Companies House, of which 3 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.
All 3 outstanding charges
| Charge holder | Created |
|---|---|
| Deutsche Trustee Company Limited (And Its Successors in Title and Permitted Transferees) | 12 October 2022 |
| Deutsche Trustee Company Limited as Security Trustee for Itself and Each of the Securedcreditors | 7 August 2003 |
| Deutsche Trustee Company Limited the Security Trustee (As Trustee for Itself and Each of Thesecured Creditors) | 6 August 2003 |
Each charge, with its holder and dates, is on the Companies House register.
How Southern Water compares
Of the 10 water companies, Southern Water is 6th on turnover, 10th on profit margin and 1st 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 |
| 6th | Southern Water | £1,443m | −£9.66 |
| + 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.
Southern Water files as Southern Water Services Limited, whose person with significant control is Sws Holdings Limited, with turnover of £1,443m in its latest filed year.
Questions about Southern Water
What does Southern Water do?
Southern Water supplies drinking water and collects and treats wastewater for homes and businesses in Kent, Sussex, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. It makes its money from water and sewerage bills, with prices, investment and performance targets set by the regulator Ofwat over five-year periods. In parts of its region it provides only wastewater services, with other companies supplying drinking water.
How does Southern Water compare with its rivals?
By turnover, Southern Water is 6th 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 Southern Water?
The Companies House register records Sws Holdings Limited as the person with significant control of Southern Water Services Limited.
How much does Southern Water make?
Southern Water Services Limited reported turnover of £1,443m in the year to March 2026. It filed a pre-tax loss of £139m.
How many people work at Southern Water?
Southern Water Services Limited reported 3,109 employees in the year to March 2026.
Who runs Southern Water?
The Companies House register lists 11 current officers for Southern Water Services Limited. The full list, with appointment dates, is on the Companies House register.
- Figures come from Southern Water Services Limited's filings at Companies House, company number 02366670, 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, “Southern Water: who owns it, who runs it and what the accounts show”, updated 6 November 2026. https://www.spark-intel.co.uk/companies/southern-water/. Figures from Companies House filings for SOUTHERN WATER SERVICES LIMITED (02366670).
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