Severn Trent
Severn Trent plc is a British utility. It is traded on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.
Severn Trent is a group of companies employing more than 15,000 people across the UK, US and mainland Europe.
The main companies in the group are Severn Trent Water, Biffa Waste, Severn Trent Laboratories and Severn Trent Services.
Severn Trent Water
Severn Trent Water is one of the ten privatised water companies in England. It supplies fresh water and treats sewage for around 8 million people in the Midlands of England and also certain regions of Wales. It takes its name from the two major rivers in this area, the Severn and the Trent.
Origins
The company was formed as the Severn-Trent Water Authority by the Water Act 1973, taking over the following public sector water supply utilities:
- Birmingham Corporation
- Coventry Corporation
- Leicester Corporation
- Nottingham Corporation
- Stafford Corporation
- Wolverhampton Corporation
- Cannock Rural District Council
- Central Nottinghamshire Water Board
- East Shropshire Water Board
- Montgomeryshire Water Board
- North Derbyshire Water Board
- North East Warwickshire Water Board
- North West Gloucestershire Water Board
- North West Leicestershire Water Board
- North West Worcestershire Water Board
- Rugby Joint Water Board
- South Derbyshire Water Board
- South Warwickshire Water Board
- South West Worcestershire Water Board
- Staffordshire Potteries Water Board
- West Shropshire Water Board
- East Worcestershire Waterworks Company
- South Staffordshire Waterworks Company
as well as two river authorities, responsible for control of water polllution:
- Trent River Authority
- Severn Trent Authority
The company today
According to the company website,[1] the company supplies 7,400,000 customers, operates 45,674 kilometres of water mains and 53,325 kilometres of sewers.
Like other water companies in England, Severn Trent Water are regulated by Ofwat, the Office of the Water Regulator.
The company has been ordered to repay £4M to customers that it overcharged them and is currently being investigated by the serious fraud office over financial iregularities.
Reservoirs
The company operates a number of reservoirs, many of which are accessible for recreational use. These include:
- Carsington Reservoir
- Clywedog reservoir
- Draycote Water
- Foremark Reservoir
- Upper Derwent Valley (Derwent, Howden and Ladybower Reservoirs)
- Lake Vyrnwy
- Tittesworth reservoir