Southern Water
Encyclopedia
Southern Water is the utility responsible for wastewater collection and treatment in Hampshire
, the Isle of Wight
, West Sussex
, East Sussex
and Kent
, and for water supply and distribution in the approximately half of this area. Some areas within the Southern Water region are supplied by a number of smaller water supply companies.
It is regulated under the Water Industry Act 1991
resulted in the formation of the Southern Water Authority (SWA), taking the responsibility away from the local authorities. Nevertheless, the SWA maintained a regional management approach, retaining three separate regional headquarters:
The authority took over the assets and duties of the following water undertakings:
In 1989 the UK
's water industry was privatised, and Southern Water Services Ltd. came into existence. The company was subsequently purchased in a hostile takeover bid by Scottish Power
. In 2002, Southern Water once again became independent when Scottish Power sold the company to Southern Water Capital Limited, a consortium of banks and private investors.
In October 2007, JPMorgan Chase in the consortium with Greensands Investments Limited purchased Southern Water Capital Limited, the owners of Southern Water Services Limited.
area of Worthing
, West Sussex
, which is the company's registered headquarters and houses the company's call centre and control centre.
Today the company supplies drinking water to roughly one million households through its 104 water supply works and 13,300 kilometres of water mains. Wastewater is treated by the company's network of 390 treatment works. Also, the treatment of sludge
results in a nutrient-rich granulated fertilizer which the company sells to the farming industry.
Southern Water has also opened up some of their activities to the public. This includes the company running guided tours of the Victorian sewers of Brighton and Hove
and public access to Bewl Water
, one of the largest reservoirs in England
.
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
, West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
, East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
and Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, and for water supply and distribution in the approximately half of this area. Some areas within the Southern Water region are supplied by a number of smaller water supply companies.
It is regulated under the Water Industry Act 1991
Water Industry Act 1991
The Water Industry Act 1991 is an Act of the United Kingdom Parliament consolidating previous enactments relating to the water supply and the provision of wastewater services in England and Wales. It further implemented recommendations of the Law Commission.-Sections:Part 1 deals with the...
History
The Water Act 1973Water Act 1973
The Water Act 1973 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reorganised the water, sewage and river management industry in England and Wales...
resulted in the formation of the Southern Water Authority (SWA), taking the responsibility away from the local authorities. Nevertheless, the SWA maintained a regional management approach, retaining three separate regional headquarters:
- OtterbourneOtterbourneOtterbourne is a village in Hampshire, England. It is located approximately four miles south of Winchester and eight miles north of Southampton. In October 2002, its population was approximately 1,520, and there were 602 dwellings....
near WinchesterWinchesterWinchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
, covering HampshireHampshireHampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
and the Isle of WightIsle of WightThe Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent... - FalmerFalmerFalmer is a small village and civil parish in the Lewes District of East Sussex, England, lying between Brighton and Lewes, approximately five miles north-east of the former. It is also the site for Brighton & Hove Albion's new stadium....
near BrightonBrightonBrighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
, covering East SussexEast SussexEast Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
and West SussexWest SussexWest Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming... - ChathamChatham, MedwayChatham is one of the Medway towns located within the Medway unitary authority, in North Kent, in South East England.Although the dockyard has long been closed and is now being redeveloped into a business and residential community as well as a museum featuring the famous submarine, HMS Ocelot,...
, covering KentKentKent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
.
The authority took over the assets and duties of the following water undertakings:
- Hampshire River Authority
- Sussex River Authoritiy
- Kent River Authority (except the area draining into the ThamesRiver ThamesThe River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
above GreenhitheGreenhitheGreenhithe is a town in Dartford District of Kent, England. It forms part of the civil parish of Swanscombe and Greenhithe.Greenhithe, as it is spelled today, is located where it was possible to build wharves for transshipping corn, wood and other commodities; its largest cargoes were of chalk and...
) - Brighton Corporation
- Hastings Corporation
- Southampton Corporation
- Tunbridge Wells Corporation
- Winchester Corporation
- Worthing Corporation
- Isle of Wight River and Water Authority
- Medway Water Board
- North West Sussex Water Board
- Thanet Water Board
- Eastbourne Waterworks Company
- Folkestone and District Water Company
- Mid Kent Water Company
- Mid-Sussex Water Company
- Sevenoaks and Tonbridge Water Company
In 1989 the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's water industry was privatised, and Southern Water Services Ltd. came into existence. The company was subsequently purchased in a hostile takeover bid by Scottish Power
Scottish Power
ScottishPower Ltd. is a vertically integrated energy company with its headquarters in Glasgow, Scotland. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index but in 2006 it became a subsidiary of the Spanish utility Iberdrola...
. In 2002, Southern Water once again became independent when Scottish Power sold the company to Southern Water Capital Limited, a consortium of banks and private investors.
In October 2007, JPMorgan Chase in the consortium with Greensands Investments Limited purchased Southern Water Capital Limited, the owners of Southern Water Services Limited.
Southern Water today
The three main office buildings continue to be used for the administration and management of the company, along with a newer building in the West DurringtonDurrington, West Sussex
Durrington is a neighbourhood of the Borough of Worthing in West Sussex, England. It is situated near the A27 road, northwest of the town centre.Durrington means 'Dēora's farmstead', Dēora presumably being the name of a Saxon settler...
area of Worthing
Worthing
Worthing is a large seaside town with borough status in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, forming part of the Brighton/Worthing/Littlehampton conurbation. It is situated at the foot of the South Downs, west of Brighton, and east of the county town of Chichester...
, West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
, which is the company's registered headquarters and houses the company's call centre and control centre.
Today the company supplies drinking water to roughly one million households through its 104 water supply works and 13,300 kilometres of water mains. Wastewater is treated by the company's network of 390 treatment works. Also, the treatment of sludge
Sludge
Sludge refers to the residual, semi-solid material left from industrial wastewater, or sewage treatment processes. It can also refer to the settled suspension obtained from conventional drinking water treatment, and numerous other industrial processes...
results in a nutrient-rich granulated fertilizer which the company sells to the farming industry.
Southern Water has also opened up some of their activities to the public. This includes the company running guided tours of the Victorian sewers of Brighton and Hove
Brighton sewers
Brighton, part of the city of Brighton and Hove in England, United Kingdom, is home to an extensive system of Victorian sewers running under the town in addition to a large modern storm drain under the beach....
and public access to Bewl Water
Bewl Water
Bewl Water is a reservoir in the valley of the River Bewl , straddling the boundary between Kent and East Sussex. It is about 4 km south of Lamberhurst, Kent, England...
, one of the largest reservoirs in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.