SOUTH WEST WATER LIMITED
Operating as a subsidiary of FTSE 250-listed Pennon Group plc, the company provides regulated water and sewerage services across the South West of England, trading under the South West Water, Bournemouth Water, and Bristol Water brands.
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Cash
£250m
-11% vs 2025
Net assets
£1.1bn
-9.2% vs 2025
Employees
2,695
-3% lowest in 3 filed years
Profit before tax
£141m
+533.6% highest in 3 filed years
Watch the reel
Our short-form breakdown of SOUTH WEST WATER LIMITED's latest filing
South West Water reversed last year's deep operating loss alongside a 27% surge in revenue, but a substantial finance bill absorbed a chunk of the profits. 💧📉 #SouthWestWater #BusinessNews #UKBusiness #Utilities
Net assets
3-year trend · vs Utilities median
Accounts
3-year trend · Δ = latest vs prior filed period · latest reflected 2026-03-31
| Metric | Trend | 2024-03-31 | 2025-03-31 | 2026-03-31 | Δ vs prior |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turnover | £731,300,000 | £739,200,000 | £939,200,000 | +27.1% | |
| Operating profit | £172,800,000 | £141,500,000 | £310,600,000 | +119.5% | |
| Profit before tax | £17,000,000 | -£32,400,000 | £140,500,000 | +533.6% | |
| Net profit | — | -£24,300,000 | — | — | |
| Cash | -£800,000 | £280,600,000 | £249,700,000 | -11% | |
| Total assets less current liabilities | £4,672,000,000 | £5,648,200,000 | £6,043,400,000 | +7% | |
| Net assets | £911,200,000 | £1,193,400,000 | £1,084,200,000 | -9.2% | |
| Equity | £911,200,000 | £1,193,400,000 | £1,084,200,000 | -9.2% | |
| Average employees | 2,761 | 2,777 | 2,695 | -3% | |
| Wages | £108,700,000 | £121,900,000 | £124,100,000 | +1.8% | |
| Directors' remuneration | — | £1,701,000 | £1,747,000 | +2.7% | |
| Directors' pension contributions | £121,000,000 | £28,000 | £34,000 | +21.4% | |
| Highest paid director | £433,000 | £255,000 | £388,000 | +52.2% |
Values shown as filed in the company's annual accounts. — indicates the figure wasn't present under that line item in that period. The Δ column is the change from the prior filed period as a percentage of |prior|; lines a company doesn't report show —. About these numbers
Ratios
Computed from the line items above — sparklines read oldest → newest
| Ratio | Trend | 2024-03-31 | 2025-03-31 | 2026-03-31 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating margin | 23.6% | 19.1% | 33.1% | |
| Net margin | — | -3.3% | — | |
| Return on capital employed | 3.7% | 2.5% | 5.1% | |
| Gearing (liabilities / total assets) | 82.6% | 78.6% | 81.5% | |
| Current ratio | 0.57x | 1.51x | 1.08x | |
| Interest cover | 1.09x | 0.80x | 1.67x |
Margins divide P&L lines by turnover. Gearing is liabilities over total assets. Current ratio is current assets over creditors falling due within one year. Interest cover is operating profit over absolute finance costs. Sector-distribution context coming next.
Name history
Renamed 1 time since incorporation
- SOUTH WEST WATER LIMITED 1998-08-01 → present
- SOUTH WEST WATER SERVICES LIMITED 1989-04-01 → 1998-08-01
Audit & accounting basis
- Accounting basis
- IFRS
- Reporting scope
- Standalone (parent only)
- Auditor
- PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
- Audit opinion
- Unqualified (clean)
- Going concern
- Affirmed
“The Directors have adopted the going concern basis in preparing these financial statements and have a reasonable expectation that the Company will meet its requirements and has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the period to at least the end of October 2027, with no material uncertainties.”
Group structure
- SOUTH WEST WATER LIMITED · parent
- Bristol Wessex Billing Services Limited 50%
- CREWW Executive Board Limited 50%
- Searchlight Collections Limited 50%
Significant events
- “On 7 July 2026, South West Water Finance plc announced the successful pricing of £250.0 million 6.000% fixed rate guaranteed notes due 2035 and £100.0 million 3.806% index-linked guaranteed notes due 2041.”
Auditor, going-concern and subsidiary information is drawn from the narrative of the latest annual accounts. About these numbers
People
8 active · 40 resigned
| Name | Role | Appointed | Born | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GARARD, Andrew Sheldon | Secretary | 2022-12-01 | — | — |
| BLANCE, Andrea Margaret | Director | 2025-04-08 | Jul 1964 | British |
| BURWELL, Dorothy Marie | Director | 2022-12-01 | Feb 1980 | British,American |
| BUTTERWORTH, Jonathan | Director | 2017-09-28 | Jun 1962 | British |
| FLOWERDEW, Laura | Director | 2024-07-11 | Feb 1976 | British |
| HAINES, Andrew | Director | 2025-11-01 | Apr 1964 | British |
| SPROUL, David | Director | 2024-07-01 | Oct 1959 | British |
| WOODHOUSE, Loraine | Director | 2022-12-01 | Dec 1968 | British |
Show 40 resigned officers
| Name | Role | Appointed | Resigned |
|---|---|---|---|
| BARRETT-HAGUE, Helen Patricia | Secretary | 2016-03-25 | 2018-11-22 |
| HEELEY, Margaret Lilian | Secretary | 2012-03-13 | 2014-07-28 |
| MILLIGAN, Robert Colin | Secretary | — | 1998-02-28 |
| PUGSLEY, Simon Anthony Follet | Secretary | 2018-11-22 | 2022-12-01 |
| SENIOR, Karen | Secretary | 2015-02-10 | 2021-04-06 |
| WOODIER, Kenneth David | Secretary | 1998-03-01 | 2016-03-25 |
| ZMUDA, Richard Cyril | Secretary | 2012-03-13 | 2016-11-30 |
| ANGLE, Martin David | Director | 2016-04-01 | 2018-12-31 |
| ASHCROFT, Philip John | Director | 1996-04-01 | 1998-02-28 |
| BATY, Robert John | Director | — | 2006-07-31 |
| BIRD, Stephen Charles, Dr | Director | 2000-03-01 | 2019-05-10 |
| BOOTE, Paul Michael | Director | 2022-09-01 | 2023-12-31 |
| BRIENS, Peter John | Director | 1996-04-01 | 2002-08-31 |
| BUCK, Steven | Director | 2024-01-01 | 2024-07-11 |
| COOK, Christopher John | Director | — | 1995-10-05 |
| COOPER, Neil | Director | 2016-04-01 | 2023-09-01 |
| COURT, Keith William | Director | — | 1997-02-28 |
| DAVY, Susan Jane | Director | 2020-07-31 | 2025-12-31 |
| DAVY, Susan Jane | Director | 2007-08-31 | 2015-01-31 |
| DOUGLAS, Ian Robert | Director | — | 1998-04-06 |
| DUPONT, David Jeremy | Director | 1996-04-01 | 2002-07-31 |
| EVANS, Iain Richard, Mr | Director | 2020-07-31 | 2026-03-31 |
| EVANS, Iain Richard, Mr | Director | 2018-09-01 | 2019-03-27 |
| FRASER, William Hamilton | Director | — | 1996-02-29 |
| FURNISS, Roger | Director | 1998-03-01 | 2000-02-29 |
| HAGEN, Martin John | Director | 2010-09-01 | 2020-07-31 |
| HALSALL, John | Director | 2023-07-10 | 2024-07-31 |
| HARVEY, Kenneth George | Director | 1997-03-01 | 2015-07-31 |
| HUGHES, Richard Mark Peek | Director | 2002-08-01 | 2007-08-31 |
| HUME, Ian Robert | Director | 1996-04-01 | 1997-09-30 |
| IGHODARO, Claire Aimie Clara | Director | 2020-07-31 | 2024-12-31 |
| INGRAM, Duncan George | Director | 2014-09-01 | 2016-02-10 |
| JOHNSON, Stephen | Director | 2014-09-01 | 2016-04-28 |
| LOUGHLIN, Christopher | Director | 2006-08-01 | 2020-07-31 |
| MOORHOUSE, Barbara Jane | Director | — | 1995-03-31 |
| PARKER, Thomas John, Sir | Director | 2015-07-31 | 2020-07-31 |
| READ, Monica Susan | Director | 2002-09-01 | 2016-02-17 |
| RIDER, Gillian Ann, Dr | Director | 2016-04-01 | 2024-07-24 |
| ROWE, Louise Frances | Director | 2015-02-01 | 2022-09-01 |
| TAYLOR, Matthew Owen John, Lord | Director | 2010-03-01 | 2020-07-31 |
Ownership
Persons with significant control
| Name | Kind | Nature of control | Notified | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennon Group Plc | Corporate entity | Shares 75–100%, Voting 75–100%, Appoints directors | 2016-04-06 | Active |
Filing timeline
Last 20 of 267 total filings
Material constitutional events — rename, articles re-file, resolution
- 2024-12-16 RESOLUTIONS Resolution
- 2024-12-16 MA Memorandum articles
| Date | Type | Category | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-01 | AP03 | officers | Appoint person secretary company with name date | |
| 2026-09-01 | TM02 | officers | Termination secretary company with name termination date | |
| 2026-08-07 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2026-05-20 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2026-04-01 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2026-01-06 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2025-11-10 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with updates | |
| 2025-11-04 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2025-07-18 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2025-06-03 | RP04SH01 | capital | Second filing capital allotment shares | |
| 2025-04-29 | SH01 | capital | Capital allotment shares | |
| 2025-04-10 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2025-02-05 | CH01 | officers | Change person director company with change date | |
| 2025-01-02 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2024-12-16 | RESOLUTIONS | resolution | Resolution | |
| 2024-12-16 | MA | incorporation | Memorandum articles | |
| 2024-11-08 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2024-08-23 | AUD | auditors | Auditors resignation company | |
| 2024-08-05 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2024-07-30 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full |
Public-record activity
Raw counts from Companies House — last 12–24 months
- Filings
- 8
- Capital events
- 2
- Officers appointed
- 1
- Officers resigned
- 2
last 12 months
last 24 months
last 12 months
last 12 months
Direct counts from the register. No score, no rating — see the Filing timeline for the underlying events.