Home » Designers, Suppliers, Regulators and Tier-1 Contractors for the Water Sector in the UK

 

Designers, Suppliers, Regulators and Tier-1 Contractors for the Water Sector in the UK

 

by Rami Elias Kremesti M.Sc., CSci, CEnv, CWEM

 

© 2025 – Kremesti Environmental Consulting Ltd. – All Rights Reserved

 

Introduction

Designers, suppliers, Regulators and tier-1 contractors for the water infrastructure industry in the UK are a fundamental business sector that makes sure that we have drinking water, working sewers and water for irrigation and industry. They also protect the environment from pollution.

 

The Engineering Consultancies – The Designers

These companies do the detailed modelling and designs of the water/waste water treatment systems and networks.

 

ARUP

Jacobs

Mott MacDonald Bentley

Atkins -Realis

Arcadis

Fichtner Consultants

WRC

Tetra-Tech

WIMES is a Pump Centre collaborative project aimed at providing common mechanical and electrical specifications for the UK Water Industry.

The Suppliers

KSB: Pumps, valves

Grundfos: Pumps, valves

Xylem: Pumps, Ozone Systems

AVK Valves

GF+ Valves

Prominent for Chemical Dosing Systems

DeNora for Chlorination/Ozonation Systems

Hach Lange for Sampling/Analysis Systems

Cla-Val – Switzerland

Mecana – Cloth Filters for TSR (Tertiary Solids Removal)

Blue Water Bio – RBC’s

Veolia supply ActiFlo clarifiers for removal of P

It is very weird that Swiss Swan have not entered the UK sampling and online analyser market or have lost the market to Hach.

Tier – 1 Contractors

Balfour Beatty:
A major player with a strong track record in large-scale infrastructure projects.

Kier Group:
A well-established company with expertise in various infrastructure sectors, including water.

Laing O’Rourke:
Known for innovative construction techniques and a focus on delivery.

Morgan Sindall:
Tier 1 contractor specializing in infrastructure projects, including water infrastructure.

Mace:
A leading construction firm with experience in large-scale water infrastructure projects.

Skanska UK:
A global company with a strong focus on sustainability and efficiency in water infrastructure projects.

Costain:
A company with a long history in the UK, known for its expertise in infrastructure.

Binnies:

Binnies is part of the RSK group of companies. The RSK group is a leading integrated environmental, engineering and technical services business.

 

The UK Water Utilities – The Client

Thames Water:
The UK’s largest water and wastewater company, serving London and the Thames Valley.

United Utilities:
The UK’s largest listed water company, operating across the North West of England.

Severn Trent Water:
A leading water company serving the Midlands and parts of the West of England.

Wessex Water:
Serves the South West of England.

Yorkshire Water:
Provides water and sewerage services to the North of England.

Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water:
The primary water and wastewater utility in Wales which is a non-profit.

Scottish Water

Northern Ireland (NI) Water

 

Other Significant Companies:

Northumbrian Water:
Serves the North East of England.

South West Water:
Operates in the South West of England, including Bournemouth and Bristol.

Anglian Water:
Supplies water and wastewater services to East of England, including Hartlepool.

Affinity Water:
A water-only company providing water to parts of London, Eastern and South Eastern England.

South East Water:
A water-only company serving the South East of England.

Portsmouth Water:
Another water-only company serving Portsmouth and surrounding areas.

Essex & Suffolk Water:
A water-only company serving Essex and Suffolk.

Regulators

The main regulator for the water sector in the UK is Ofwat (The Water Services Regulation Authority), which acts as the economic regulator for water and sewerage companies in England and Wales. Other key bodies include the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI), which ensures drinking water quality/materials used in systems construction, and the Environment Agency (EA), which is responsible for environmental protection and ecological standards, with OFWAT working with the EA to drive environmental improvements.

England and Wales have a privatized industry with a monopoly structure, overseen by the economic regulator Ofwat, and a separate drinking water quality regulator, the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI). Scotland and Northern Ireland are served by publicly owned companies.

Industry and Municipal Utility companies have to abide by Environment Agency permits. 

The Environment Agency (EA) operates as an arm’s-length body of the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra), meaning its remit is to implement the policies that Defra sets. Defra is the core government department responsible for setting the overall strategy and policy, while the EA is the primary environmental regulator in England that delivers these policies on the ground.

Defra’s role is to develop the broad policy framework and vision for environmental protection, food, farming, and the rural economy in the UK (specifically for reserved matters, and for England in general).

 British Water represents the UK water industry, including supply chain and wastewater companies, and advocates for members’ interests through UK, international, and technical forums.

The Health and Safety Executive – HSE – the UK’s national regulator for workplace health, safety, and welfare, tasked with preventing work-related deaths, injuries, and ill-health by enforcing legislation, providing guidance, investigating incidents, and conducting research to ensure workplaces are safe for everyone. Its role involves supporting businesses to meet legal duties, promoting a strong safety culture, and protecting the public from workplace risks.

Problems with the Sector:

The water infrastructure sector in the UK is plagued by legacy problems, monopoly, lack of efficiency, lack of work force and lack of innovation. Projects regularly go over budget and over dead line. The work force is also aging and there are massive gaps in the hiring pipeline. The underlying problem that everyone minces their words about is that the bankers got their hand on these juicy water companies and turned their business models into for profit over people and planet. The Independent Water Commission established by the UK government in 2024 to fix the problem with the water sector was headed alas by a banker which is the main problem.

This has lead to many companies, for example the designers, to outsource their design work offshore to countries like India.

Conclusion

Although plagued by legacy problems, the water sector in the UK remains the leader in recycling that most precious natural resource which is water. As we continue to strive in this sector to improve the quality of our water bodies, we need to keep our eye on the bigger vision: a completely sustainable, circular economy in which every resource, every waste product is recovered or recycled perpetually.

 

About the Author

Rami Elias Kremesti has 20 years of experience in the water treatment sector. He has an M.Sc. degree in chemistry and is chartered with CIWEM, the UK Science Council and the UK Society for the Environment. He is the MD of Kremesti Environmental Consulting Ltd.

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