About us

Our history

Charting our development from regional water authority to FTSE100 company

Timeline

Pre-1945

  • 1,000 water authorities
  • 1,400 sewage authorities

1945

Water Act created:

  • 100 Water Boards
  • 50 Local Authorities
  • 29 privately-owned statutory water companies

1973

Water Act created:

  • 10 water (and sewerage) authorities
  • 29 privately-owned statutory water companies

1974

Severn Trent Water Authority established through the amalgamation of the Severn River Authority, the Trent River Authority, and the sewage disposal responsibilities of the councils within its area

1989

  • Privatisation and the creation of Severn Trent PLC
  • The 10 water authorities were floated on the London Stock Exchange and members of the public were able to buy and sell shares
  • Ofwat established to regulate the newly-privatised water industry, financed by licence fees recoverable from the
    water companies

1991

Acquired waste management company Biffa

1992

Inset or New Appointments and Variations (NAV) regime introduced

2002

Severn Trent first in industry to publish its Network Access Code

2003

Water Act allowed competition for customers using over 50Ml a year

2006

Biffa de-merged from the group

2007

The American side of Severn Trent Laboratories was sold to HIG Capital

2015

Sale of our US Water Purification business to Industrie De Nora

2016

  • WaterPlus created as a joint venture between Severn Trent and United Utilities to serve customers in the soon to be opened non household (business) market

2017

  • Non household market opened in England for competition
  • Purchase of Dee Valley Water which is combined with Severn Trent Water’s customers in Powys to become a purely Welsh company called Hafren Dyfrdwy
  • Sale of our Italian Operating Services business to our former joint venture partner, Acea S.p.A
  • Sale of our US Operating Services business to PPC Enterprises LLC and Alston Capital Partners LLC

2018

  • Purchase of five food waste anaerobic digestion plants and five green and comingled waste composting sites from Agrivert

2019

  • Severn Trent one of just three water companies to receive fast-track status from Ofwat for its plans for AMP7

2023

  • Severn Trent Green Power's acquisition of Andigestion Limited which operates two food waste anaerobic digestion plants in Devon and Gloucestershire.