Cambridge Water

What Cambridge Water does

Cambridge Water is a regulated regional water utility in eastern England, supplying drinking water to approximately 351,000 household customers across the Cambridge region — spanning from Ramsey in the north to Melbourn in the south and from Gamlingay in the west to Balsham in the east. The franchise is operated as a brand under South Staffordshire Water PLC within the South Staffordshire Group, alongside the group's sister utility South Staffs Water. Water is sourced entirely from groundwater, abstracted through 24 boreholes into the chalk aquifer that underlies the supply area.

The company's core operational stack centres on the MyAccount digital platform — a customer portal and iOS/Android mobile application that handle billing, payments, meter reading submission and account self-service — augmented by advanced meter reading infrastructure (including bin-lorry-mounted mobile readers), drone-based asset inspection, CCTV monitoring, and the Utilis satellite leak detection system delivered through SUEZ. This satellite capability covers 3,500km of imagery and forms the backbone of the 15% leakage reduction commitment and the targeted renewal of 250km of pipework through a £84 million capital programme running 2025-2030.

Revenue is generated primarily through regulated water supply charges billed to residential customers (some of the lowest bills in England and Wales), with secondary streams from non-household wholesale supply under OpenWater, developer connection charges, standpipe hire, and an affinity-marketing partnership with Homeserve for water-related insurance products. The company also operates community-facing programmes including the H2Online customer engagement community, the PEBBLE biodiversity fund (grants up to £10,000), the SPRING 2 catchment management scheme (grants up to £15,000 per farm), and a school education programme that engaged nearly 600 pupils in 2025/26.

Name

Cambridge Water

Legal name

South Staffordshire Water PLC

Website

https://cambridge-water.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1853

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cambridge Water is a regulated regional water utility in eastern England, supplying drinking water to approximately 351,000 household customers in the Cambridge region under an Ofwat statutory licence, operated as a brand of South Staffordshire Water PLC.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water Utility Services

NAICS

Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), 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 Quality Monitoring, Compliance & Reporting (Sampling, Lab, Regulatory) (EUANAAAG)

Keywords

• Water utility services
• Drinking water supply
• Household water billing
• Developer water connections
• Leak detection technology

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Household Water Supply Charges: Cambridge Water supplies drinking water to approximately 351,000 household customers. Revenue is generated through water supply charges billed to customers. Household customers have some of the lowest bills in England and Wales.
2. Non-Household / Business Water Supply: Charges for non-household customers including retailers, suppliers, and direct business customers. Part of the non-household retail market operating under OpenWater.
3. Developer Connection Charges: Fees charged to developers for new water main connections, replacement connections, and related infrastructure work. Developers can apply for connections and hire standpipes.
4. Standpipe Hire: Licensed standpipe hire service for accessing hydrants for non fire-fighting purposes. Includes refundable deposit, administration fee, and weekly hire charges inclusive of water.
5. Affinity Insurance (Homeserve): Partnership with Homeserve Membership Limited for water-related insurance products for customers, generating referral/affiliate revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Cambridge Water supplies regulated drinking water to approximately 351,000 household and non-household customers across the Cambridge region, abstracting from 24 boreholes into a chalk aquifer. The company bills customers for water supply, supports developers with new connection and replacement connection services, and offers ancillary services such as licensed standpipe hire and a Priority Services Register for vulnerable customers. Account management is delivered through the MyAccount portal, mobile app, and phone-based customer service channels.

Product overview

Cambridge Water operates as a regional water utility providing clean water services to approximately 351,000 customers in the Cambridge region. The company offers a portfolio of interconnected services centered around water supply and account management. Core digital products include the MyAccount Customer Portal and Mobile App, which enable customers to view bills, make payments, and submit meter readings. The H2Online Community provides a digital engagement platform for customer feedback. Beyond direct water services, Cambridge Water offers developer services, priority services for vulnerable customers, and environmental programmes including the PEBBLE biodiversity fund (up to £10,000 grants) and SPRING 2 catchment management scheme (up to £15,000 for farmers). The company also provides an education programme for schools and standpipe hire services for construction and development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Household Water Supply Regulated drinking water supply service for approximately 351,000 residential household customers across the Cambridge region, billed monthly via the MyAccount portal, mobile app, or phone-based customer service. Includes eligibility for the Assure Tariff and WaterSure social tariffs and access to the Priority Services Register for vulnerable customers.
• Non-Household Water Supply (OpenWater Wholesale) Wholesale water supply and billing services for non-household customers including retailers, suppliers, charities and public sector organisations, operated under the OpenWater non-household retail market framework in coordination with Market Operator Services Limited (MOSL) and licensed retailers.
• Developer Connection Services Connection services for property developers and self-lay organisations covering new water main connection applications, replacement connection applications, asset record requests, connection requirements, and self-lay contractor coordination within the Cambridge supply area.
• Standpipe Hire Service Licensed hire of authorised standpipes for accessing hydrants for non-fire-fighting purposes. Includes a 20mm bore standard standpipe with a £302.94 refundable deposit, a £59.16 one-off administration fee, and a £59.16 per week hire charge inclusive of water, with weekly invoicing at month end.
• Priority Services Register Free support service for customers who need extra help due to communication, access, physical or mental health needs. Provides tailored support during emergencies including bottled water delivery for those unable to collect from collection points.

Quantifiable outcome

• Household customers have some of the lowest bills in England and Wales while benefiting from the highest levels of customer service as measured by Ofwat
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• South Staffordshire Water PLCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouth Staffordshire Water PLC is the parent company and operator of Cambridge Water. Cambridge Water is known as the brand name in the Cambridge region, while South Staffordshire Water serves the West Midlands, South Staffordshire and South Derbyshire. Both operate under the South Staffordshire Group.
• Pennon Water Services Limited (PWSL)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJoint venture between South Staffordshire Group and Pennon Group Limited. Operates as a retailer in the non-household water retail market. Cambridge Water shares information with PWSL on the same basis as with any other retailer under the OpenWater market framework.
• Homeserve Membership LimitedminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAffinity insurance partner providing water-related insurance products to Cambridge Water customers. Part of Cambridge Water's affinity marketing for water efficiency and pipe insurance products.
• Save Water Save Money LimitedminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThird party company included in Cambridge Water's direct marketing for water efficiency products and services.
• Homeserve LimitedminorGTM or Marketing PartnerService partner providing water efficient products and services including HomeServe Membership Limited. Cambridge Water shares information to promote products which improve water efficiency, reduce leakage and assist in meeting legal obligations.
• SUEZcoreTechnology or IntegrationSUEZ brought Utilis satellite leak detection technology to the UK on behalf of Cambridge Water. The technology uses radar sensors to detect leaks from satellites, adapted from technology used to search for water on other planets.
• UtiliscoreTechnology or IntegrationDeveloper of satellite leak detection technology used by Cambridge Water. The technology uses radar sensors to penetrate the first few metres of earth and identify the unique signature of underground drinking water to detect leaks.
• Water Resources East (WRE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCambridge Water is a member of Water Resources East, which is pioneering an innovative, collaborative approach to resilient integrated water management in Eastern England.
• Anglian WatercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership on two key water infrastructure projects: the Fens Reservoir (new reservoir in Cambridgeshire Fens) and the Grafham to Cambridge pipeline (25km pipeline from Grafham Water reservoir). Anglian Water also provides sewerage services to Cambridge Water's supply area.
• Qa ResearchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner working with Cambridge Water from 2025-2026 to gain feedback on discounted tariffs offered to customers. May contact customers by email or telephone.
• Accent Research (with Roots Research Limited)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner for feedback surveys about what's important to customers. Works with Cambridge Water to help shape long-term business plans.
• Turquoise ThinkingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner for feedback surveys about customer service experiences. Team of researchers make telephone calls and collect feedback on behalf of Cambridge Water.
• Explain Market ResearchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRuns the H2Online online customer community on behalf of Cambridge Water. Manages customer registration and sends regular email newsletters promoting activities.
• Severn Trent Water LimitedminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides sewerage services to customers in Cambridge Water's supply area. Cambridge Water shares personal data with Severn Trent for billing purposes and to manage sewerage services under legal obligation.
• Market Operator Services Limited (MOSL)coreOthersOperates the Central Market Operations Systems for the non-household retail market as part of OpenWater. Non-household customer information is shared with MOSL under legal obligation.
• OfwatcoreOthersWater regulator for England and Wales. Cambridge Water has regulatory obligations to Ofwat including sharing customer data for surveys (C-MeX, SIM, D-Mex) and meeting performance standards.
• The Wildlife Trust Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and NorthamptonshireminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharitable organisation partnered with Cambridge Water's PEBBLE Fund and Chalk Stream Project for habitat restoration and biodiversity improvements.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Northumbrian Water: Integrated water and wastewater company serving the North East of England. Comparable Ofwat-regulated water utility with a similar focus on environmental stewardship and customer service performance metrics.
• Severn Trent Water: Major integrated water and wastewater company serving the Midlands and parts of Wales. Provides sewerage services in Cambridge Water's supply area and shares personal data for billing purposes under legal obligations.
• Thames Water: Largest water and wastewater company in the UK, serving ~15M customers across London and the Thames Valley. Comparable as a regulated Ofwat utility, but materially larger and currently under significant financial and operational stress.
• Anglian Water: Largest water and wastewater company in England by geographic area, operating in the same East of England region. Provides sewerage services to Cambridge Water's supply area and is a key collaborative partner on the Fens Reservoir and Grafham pipeline.

Direct peers

• SES Water (Sutton and East Surrey Water): Water-only company serving ~700,000 customers in Surrey, Kent, and South London. Comparable regulated water-only utility under Ofwat with similar leakage and infrastructure investment profiles.
• Portsmouth Water: Water-only company serving ~315,000 customers in Hampshire and West Sussex. Closest comparable to Cambridge Water in customer scale, water-only model, and Ofwat regulatory regime.
• Bournemouth Water: Water-only company serving ~513,000 customers in the south of England, part of the Pennon Group. Operates an Ofwat-regulated water-only model similar to Cambridge Water and is part of the same JV (PWSL) partner ecosystem.
• Affinity Water: Largest water-only company in England, serving ~3.6M customers. Comparable as a regulated water-only supplier under Ofwat with a similar business model, tariff structure, and supply-side abstraction exposure, although materially larger in scale.
• South Staffs Water: Sister company of Cambridge Water under South Staffordshire Water PLC, serving the West Midlands, South Staffordshire and South Derbyshire. Operates the same regulated water-only utility model with the same Ofwat framework and is the most direct operational and financial peer.

Regional players

• Welsh Water (Dwr Cymru): Not-for-profit regulated water and wastewater company serving most of Wales. Comparable as an Ofwat-regulated water utility with a strong environmental and sustainability focus, but does not directly compete in Cambridge Water's geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Cambswater
• Facebookfacebook.com/Cambswater
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cambridge-water

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

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 Cambridge Water