Thames Water: who owns it, who runs it and what the accounts show

Thames Water is the water and wastewater company for London and the Thames Valley, supplying drinking water and collecting and treating sewage. It makes money from customer water and sewerage bills, which are set within price limits regulated by Ofwat, the water regulator for England and Wales. As a regional monopoly, customers cannot choose another household water supplier. It became a private company when the water industry in England and Wales was privatised in 1989.

In brief: water and wastewater · London and Thames Valley · regulated bills · privatised 1989

The Companies House register records Thames Water Utilities Holdings Limited as the person with significant control of Thames Water Utilities Limited, company number 02366661. Thames Water Utilities Holdings Limited is itself company number 06195202.

That places Thames Water Utilities Limited inside a larger group. Its accounts are group accounts, covering the companies it owns as well.

The Companies House register lists 13 current officers for Thames Water Utilities Limited.

Thames Water Utilities Limited reported turnover of £3,757m in the year to March 2026. That was up 37.2% on £2,738m the year before.

It reported 8,472 employees. The year before it reported 7,824.

It filed a pre-tax profit of £226m for the year, against a pre-tax loss of £1,647m the year before.

Staff costs came to £605m. That is an average of £71,000 a head. It ended the year with £557m at the bank and net assets of £342m.

Thames Water Utilities Limited has registered 8 charges at Companies House, of which 7 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.