SEVERN TRENT

Overview

Severn Trent is a UK utility group focused on essential water services. Its core business is supplying fresh drinking water and collecting and treating wastewater through regulated operations in England and Wales, including Severn Trent Water and Hafren Dyfrdwy; it also has non-regulated activities that provide related services and generate renewable energy from sources such as anaerobic digestion, food waste, solar, wind and hydro.[1]+4

The company’s operations are concentrated in the UK, with its regulated water and wastewater region stretching across the heart of the country from the Bristol Channel to the Humber and from North and Mid-Wales to the East Midlands. Severn Trent states its purpose as “Taking care of one of life’s essentials,” with a strategy described as performance driven and sustainability led.[6]+2

As a scale indicator, the group serves over nine million people with drinking water every day, treats more than 3.35 billion litres of wastewater daily, and serves 4.7 million households and businesses. It reported group turnover of £2,426.7 million in 2024/25 and is supported by a workforce of over 9,800 employees.[9]+4 [1]+11

Products & services

Severn Trent’s main products and services are regulated potable water and wastewater services. It collects raw water, cleans it, and distributes drinking water to customers’ taps, while its sewer and pumping-station network collects wastewater from homes and businesses, transports it to treatment works, and returns treated water safely to the environment; the wastewater system treats about 3.35 billion litres a day. The group also provides developer services for new-build projects, including planning supply connections, installing meters and service connections, and adopting infrastructure installed in new developments. Its operational capability includes a 24/7 control centre with real-time telemetry coverage across assets and operations.[13]+7

Its non-regulated Business Services portfolio includes Operating Services, Green Power, property development, and affinity products and searches. Operating Services supplies operational water and wastewater services to private clients, including legionella monitoring and internal water-treatment work through Aqualytix, and a reports-based service that produces water and drainage search reports for conveyancing solicitors. Green Power generates renewable energy from anaerobic digestion, hydropower, wind and solar; its asset base includes 11 anaerobic digestion facilities, five composting sites, 33 solar parks, six wind turbines and three hydro-electric turbines, recycling over 500,000 tonnes of food waste and more than 100,000 tonnes of green waste each year. In 2023/24, Business Services generated £186.8 million of external turnover, about 8% of group revenue, with £104.3 million from Operating Services and Other and £87.6 million from Green Power; regulated water and wastewater generated £2,151.5 million of external turnover, about 92% of group revenue.[21]+7 [13]+15

Geographic presence

Severn Trent’s operating footprint is concentrated in the UK. Its regulated water and wastewater businesses are Severn Trent Water and Hafren Dyfrdwy, which operate in England and Wales, serving a region that the company describes as stretching across the heart of the UK from the Bristol Channel to the Humber and from North and Mid-Wales to the East Midlands. That regulated area includes a mix of predominantly rural counties and communities as well as major urban conurbations, and serves over 4.7 million households and businesses. Its non-regulated businesses operate across England, Wales and Scotland.[29]+4

Geographically, the group’s sales are entirely UK-based, with all Group sales reported as derived from the UK in both 2025 and 2024. Severn Trent plc’s registered office is in Coventry, and unless otherwise noted this is also the registered office for group entities. Other cited UK locations include Water Plus Group Limited in Stoke-on-Trent and Hafren Dyfrdwy/Dee Valley entities in Wrexham.[33]+4 [29]+9

Business segments

Severn Trent reports two main business segments: Regulated Water and Wastewater, and Business Services [38][39]. Regulated Water and Wastewater includes the activities of Severn Trent Water Limited, excluding hydro-electric generation and property sales, together with Hafren Dyfrdwy Cyfyngedig [40]. Business Services comprises the group’s Operating Services businesses, the Green Power business including Severn Trent Water’s hydro-electric generation, the Property Development business, and other non-regulated businesses including affinity products and searches [41].

Within Business Services, Operating Services provides operational water and wastewater services to private businesses across the UK, Green Power recycles food and green waste and converts waste into renewable energy through anaerobic digestion, solar, wind and hydro assets, and Property Development manages the sale of surplus land [42]+3. Based on 2025 external turnover, Regulated Water and Wastewater contributed about 93% of group revenue (£2,248.7m of £2,426.7m), while Business Services contributed about 7% (£178.0m of £2,426.7m) [46]. [38]+8

Company history

Severn Trent’s origins date to 1974, when the Severn Trent Water Authority was established through the amalgamation of the Severn River Authority, Trent River Authority and local authority sewage responsibilities. In 1989, during the privatisation of the water industry in England and Wales, the water authorities were floated and Severn Trent PLC was created.[47]

Later corporate restructuring included a share capital reorganisation in August 1997 and the demerger of Biffa plc, followed by a return of capital and share consolidation in October 2006.[48] In 2010, Sir John Egan retired as chairman and Andrew Duff joined the board in May before becoming chairman in July.[49] In 2014, Liv Garfield was appointed chief executive, marking another important leadership change.[50] Severn Trent also expanded through acquisition, notably with the 2017 Dee Valley transaction, which the company described as a strategic acquisition and an opportunity to integrate the two businesses into a stronger Welsh entity.[51][52] [48]+5

Sources

• SEVERN TRENT — Full financial report (2025 Y)
  32 citations

  [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][22][23][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46]
• SEVERN TRENT — Full financial report (2024 Y)
  14 citations

  [17][18][19][20][21][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32]
• www.severntrent.com[47]
• SEVERN TRENT — Full financial report (2010 Y)[48]
• SEVERN TRENT — Full financial report (2013 Y)[49]
• SEVERN TRENT — Full financial report (2014 Y)[50]
• SEVERN TRENT — Full financial report (2017 Y)[51][52]