Portsmouth Water

What Portsmouth Water does

Portsmouth Water Limited is a privately-held regulated water utility registered in England and Wales (company number 02536455), operating under an exclusive Ofwat appointment as the designated water undertaker for a defined supply area spanning 868 square kilometers across South East Hampshire and West Sussex, from the River Meon in the west to the River Arun in the east. The company supplies drinking water continuously to over 320,000 properties, with a served domestic population of more than 700,000, and has operated continuously since 1857. Approximately 85% of supply is abstracted from chalk groundwater aquifers and springs beneath the South Downs via boreholes, with the remaining 15% drawn from the River Itchen; treatment is delivered across 21 water treatment sites using membrane filtration at five works (Farlington, Lovedean, Soberton, Fishbourne, and River Itchen), UV technology, and chlorination, and the network comprises 3,409 km of underground distribution pipes. The company also serves major defence establishments, varied commercial businesses, and industries in its area.

Name

Portsmouth Water

Legal name

Portsmouth Water Limited

Website

https://portsmouthwater.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1857

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Portsmouth Water Limited is a privately-held UK regulated water utility that supplies drinking water continuously to over 320,000 household properties and many businesses across 868 square kilometers in South East Hampshire and West Sussex, sourced primarily from chalk aquifer groundwater and delivered via 21 treatment sites and 3,409 km of pipes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water Utility Services

NAICS

Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (22131)

SIC

Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro primary industry

Raw Water Conveyance & Transmission (Aqueducts, Mains, Pumping Stations) (EUANAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Water Sourcing & Abstraction (Surface Water, Groundwater, Intake Works) (EUANAAAA)

Keywords

• Water utility services
• Drinking water supply
• Water distribution network
• Water treatment operations
• Leakage reduction

Headquarters

HQ city

Havant

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Water Supply Charges - Household: Portsmouth Water generates revenue primarily through water supply charges to domestic customers. The company provides drinking water to over 320,000 properties, billing customers either on a measured (metered) basis or unmeasured (rateable value) basis. From April 2026, the average yearly bill is £162, representing the lowest price in England and Wales.
2. Water Supply Charges - Non-Household Wholesale: Since April 2017, non-household customers can choose their water retailer. Portsmouth Water operates as a wholesale-only provider, charging retailers for network access and bulk water supply. The company published wholesale schemes of charges and maintains relationships with multiple retailers including Castle Water, Business Stream, and others.
3. Developer Services and Infrastructure Charges: Revenue from new property connections, developer services, and infrastructure charges for new developments connecting to the water network.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Portsmouth Water supplies drinking water derived primarily from chalk groundwater aquifers and springs beneath the South Downs to over 320,000 household properties and businesses across 868 square kilometers in South East Hampshire and West Sussex. The company operates 21 water treatment sites and maintains 3,409 km of underground pipes, delivering water at the lowest supply charges in England and Wales (average annual bill of £162 from April 2026). It also provides wholesale water services to non-household retailers and operates related customer support programmes including social tariffs, leak allowances, and a Priority Services Register.

Product overview

Portsmouth Water is a regional water utility company that operates as a single, integrated water supply business serving over 320,000 household and non-household properties across 868 square kilometers in South East Hampshire and West Sussex. The company's core product is the supply of high-quality drinking water from chalk groundwater sources, supported by 21 water treatment sites and 3,409 km of distribution network. Key infrastructure programs include the Havant Thicket Reservoir (a new reservoir, developed with Southern Water, due 2031) and a smart water meter rollout for non-household customers using Sensus 640C/640MC meters (by 2035). Customer-facing product modules span metered and unmetered billing, social support tariffs (Helping Hand, WaterSure, Arrears Assist), Priority Services Register for vulnerable customers, and leak allowance policies for both household and non-household customers. Business services include wholesale supply and a standpipe hire service operated through Aquam Water Services Ltd. Portsmouth Water positions itself as the lowest-priced water company in England and Wales while maintaining high customer service standards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Water Supply Services (Household) Portsmouth Water supplies clean, continuous drinking water to over 320,000 household properties across 868 square kilometers in South East Hampshire and West Sussex, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, at the lowest price in England and Wales (£162 average annual bill for 2026/27).
• Business Water Supply Services (Wholesale) Wholesale water supply services for non-household customers in Portsmouth Water's supply area, delivered through licensed water retailers in the open non-household market, including Network Access Codes, Compliance Codes, and Wholesale Scheme of Charges.
• Havant Thicket Reservoir

Quantifiable outcome

• Lowest water supply charges in England and Wales - average bill of £162 vs sector average of £266
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and supporting.

• Vysiion (Exponential-e Group)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 April 2026UK-based operational technology and IT infrastructure specialist awarded AMP8 Telephony and Resilience Framework contract. Vysiion will deploy and support digital communications infrastructure, replacing legacy PSTN connections with a secure digital platform for Critical National Infrastructure. £3M contract running until 2031 with potential extension to 2036. First stage due completion by January 2027, complying with UK NIS Regulations, NCSC Cyber Assessment Framework, and IEC 62443 cybersecurity standard.
• Tetra Tech, Inc.coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 October 2025Global consulting and engineering services provider selected to provide engineering design and technical support for Portsmouth Water's infrastructure projects including reservoirs, pipes, and treatment plants. Supports delivery of the £377 million investment program over 2025-2030.
• Wave (County Durham-based water retailer)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025Wave partnered with SaveMoneyCutCarbon and Portsmouth Water for the Big Blue Eco Booster Project. Funded by Northumbrian Water's Retailer Collaboration Fund, the initiative completed 169 school visits generating £81,726 in annual savings and identifying potential daily water savings exceeding 103,000 litres.
• SaveMoneyCutCarbonminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 October 2025Energy and water efficiency partner collaborating on Big Blue Eco Booster Project to help schools cut water costs through efficiency audits, leak repairs, and fittings installations.
• Aquam Water Services LtdsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 February 2020Contract partner managing end-to-end standpipe hire process for Portsmouth Water since February 2020. Located at 5 Fairway Business Centre, Airport Service Road, PO3 5NU. Contact: 023 9269 5515, [email protected].
• Downs and Harbours Clean Water PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009Partnership between Portsmouth Water, Environment Agency, and Natural England established in 2008/2009 to proactively tackle diffuse water pollution affecting quality of groundwater, surface and coastal waters in West Sussex and East Hampshire. Focuses on reducing inputs of nutrients, particularly nitrates, to protect water sources and coastal environments including Portsmouth, Chichester, Langstone Harbours and River Hamble estuary.
• Southern WatercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint £1.2 billion water recycling project advancing in Hampshire to treat sewage effluent and pipe it into Havant Thicket Reservoir, making it the first UK reservoir to use recycled water from sewage. Southern Water is funding the project and will receive water supply from the reservoir. Regulators have allocated £71m toward its development. Project expected to supply up to 90m litres of drinking water a day by 2034.
• Get Water Fit / Save Water Save MoneysupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerOnline platform run by Save Water Save Money that helps people understand and reduce water and energy use. Portsmouth Water partners to provide free water saving kits, LeakyLoo strips, cistern bags, and tap jackets to customers. Partnership promotes water efficiency and provides discounted products like water butts.
• HomeServesupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with HomeServe, one of the UK's leading providers of home emergency assistance, offering plumbing and drainage cover to Portsmouth Water customers. Provides Major and minor problem coverage, unlimited claims with £4,000 cover limit per claim, and £30 excess. Portsmouth Water Limited is an appointed representative of HomeServe Membership Limited.
• WaterSafesupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerWaterSafe is a scheme connecting qualified plumbing contractors. Portsmouth Water refers customers to WaterSafe's search facility to find approved local plumbers. The scheme is funded by the Water Industry and brings together contractors from seven existing Approved Contractors' Schemes across the UK.
• CappaghsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTrusted partner responsible for fitting smart water meters in non-household properties. Technicians have ID cards, branded uniforms and vans. Installation typically takes around 30 minutes with brief water supply interruption.
• Arun and Rothers Rivers Trust (ARRT)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerRiver restoration trust commissioned by Portsmouth Water to develop a 10-year Chalk Stream Restoration Plan for the River Ems, part of the Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP). Previously undertook river restorations in 2015-2016 to reduce effect of physical modifications on the river.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Southern Water: Adjacent UK regulated water utility serving Hampshire, Sussex, Kent and the Isle of Wight. Direct peer because it co-funds and will receive water from Portsmouth Water's Havant Thicket Reservoir project, operates under the same Ofwat regime, and serves an overlapping/adjacent customer base with the same wholesale market structure.
• South East Water: UK regulated water-only company serving Kent, Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire. Direct peer because it is a similarly-sized Ofwat-regulated water supplier in South East England with comparable customer base scale, treatment and distribution infrastructure, and regulatory exposure.
• Affinity Water: UK's largest water-only company serving north London, the Home Counties and parts of Essex, Hertfordshire, and Suffolk. Direct peer because it operates under the same Ofwat water-only appointee structure with comparable revenue scale and similar groundwater-surface water source mix.
• SES Water: UK regulated water-only company (formerly Sutton & East Surrey Water) serving parts of Surrey, Kent, and South London. Direct peer because it is a similarly-sized regional water-only utility under Ofwat regulation with comparable customer numbers and infrastructure footprint.
• Bristol Water: UK regulated water-only company serving Bristol and surrounding areas. Direct peer because it is a regional water-only utility of comparable scale to Portsmouth Water, operating under the same Ofwat wholesale/retail framework for non-household customers.
• Hafren Dyfrdwy: Smaller UK regulated water-only company serving parts of mid-Wales and Shropshire. Direct peer because of similar water-only appointee status, comparable scale, and shared Ofwat regulatory environment despite different geography.

Broad incumbents

• South West Water: Larger UK regulated water and wastewater company serving Devon, Cornwall, and parts of Somerset and Dorset. Broad incumbent peer because it operates under the same UK regulatory regime but at greater scale, with an integrated wastewater portfolio beyond Portsmouth Water's water-only focus.
• Northumbrian Water: UK regulated integrated water and wastewater company serving the North East and South East of England. Broad incumbent because of its wider portfolio (wastewater and large-scale operations) but with overlapping regulatory structure and customer-service focus; also involved via Portsmouth Water partnerships through its Retailer Collaboration Fund.
• United Utilities: Largest UK listed water company serving the North West of England. Broad incumbent because it operates under the same regulatory regime and reports comparable operational KPIs (leakage, customer service standards), but is materially larger and geographically distant.
• Severn Trent: Major UK integrated water and wastewater company serving the Midlands. Broad incumbent because of shared Ofwat regulatory framework, comparable customer-service metrics, and similar infrastructure-investment drivers, although materially larger and operating across wastewater as well as water.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PortsmouthWater
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/portsmouth-water-limited

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Portsmouth Water