Water Resources South East

What Water Resources South East does

Water Resources South East (WRSE) is a non-profit regional water resources planning alliance comprising six regulated water companies operating in South East England: Affinity Water, Portsmouth Water, SES Water, South East Water, Southern Water, and Thames Water. The alliance coordinates collaborative, cross-company water resource planning across the most water-stressed region of the United Kingdom, producing regional plans that inform each member's statutory Water Resources Management Plan. Its core function is to identify the optimal mix of supply-side (reservoirs, transfers, recycling, desalination), demand-side (leakage reduction, water efficiency, smart metering), and catchment-based solutions to meet projected needs while protecting the natural environment. WRSE's final regional plan, published 11 June 2025, identified over £19 billion in coordinated infrastructure investment needs from 2025 through 2075, addresses a projected 2.7 billion litre per day supply shortfall, and targets resilience to a 1-in-500-year drought by 2040 alongside leaving more than 1 billion litres of water per day in rivers and streams.

The underlying work is supported by regional water resources modelling, mathematical optimisation of investment portfolios, and adaptive planning tools run hundreds of times across climate, population, and environmental scenarios. The portfolio comprises 15 RAPID-gated schemes (including SESRO, Havant Thicket, Broad Oak reservoirs and the Grand Union Canal Transfer), over 200 nature-based schemes, more than 60 catchment management interventions, water recycling projects, a portfolio of desalination schemes along the South Coast, and a regional programme targeting over 800 million litres per day of demand reduction by 2035. WRSE also coordinates cross-sector engagement with agriculture, energy, data centres, and manufacturing, supported by the Environmental Stakeholder Advisory Board established in April 2026.

WRSE does not generate commercial revenue. It is funded through contributions from its six member water companies and, in part, through government/regulatory funding. The alliance operates with a small core team of approximately seven staff, led by Independent Chair Chris Murray MBE and Managing Director Meyrick Gough, supported by Organisational Director Lee Dance. Outputs — regional plans, consultation documents, and policy recommendations — are distributed through the WRSE website, member companies, regulators (Ofwat, Environment Agency, Defra), and stakeholder channels including webinars, podcasts, newsletters, LinkedIn, and industry events.

Name

Water Resources South East

Legal name

Water Resources South East

Website

https://wrse.org.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Water Resources South East (WRSE) is a non-profit alliance of six UK water companies that develops collaborative regional water resource plans for South East England, identifying £19 billion of infrastructure investment and demand management strategies to ensure resilient supplies for 8.2 million homes and 2 million businesses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water Resources Planning

NAICS

Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (22131), Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (924110)

SIC

Water Supply (4941), Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Resources Administration (Watersheds, Rivers, Groundwater) (BPAIAMAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Design & Engineering for Renewal/Expansion (Pipelines, Pump Stations, Treatment Plants) (EUANALAD), NRW Data Management & Water Balance (IWA Methodology, GIS/SCADA Integration, Digital Twins) (EUANAKAJ)

Keywords

• Regional water planning
• Water resource management
• Water infrastructure planning
• Drought resilience planning
• Catchment management services

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Water Resources South East (WRSE) is an alliance of six water companies in South East England that coordinates regional water resource planning, developing comprehensive 50-year regional plans and identifying the optimal mix of new water sources, demand reduction measures, and catchment management solutions. Its outputs include strategic infrastructure schemes (reservoirs, transfers, desalination, water recycling) and policy frameworks that inform each member water company's statutory Water Resources Management Plan.

Product overview

Water Resources South East (WRSE) is an alliance of six water companies (Affinity Water, Portsmouth Water, SES Water, South East Water, Southern Water, and Thames Water) providing collaborative regional water resources planning services. Their offering consists of regional planning coordination and strategic water infrastructure schemes including reservoirs (SESRO, Havant Thicket, Broad Oak), water transfers (Grand Union Canal, Thames to Southern, Thames to Affinity), water recycling schemes, desalination projects, and demand management programs. The organization develops comprehensive regional plans that inform individual water company Water Resources Management Plans, coordinates infrastructure development across company boundaries, and manages over 60 catchment management solutions for environmental protection.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Regional Water Resources Planning Service
• South East Strategic Reservoir Option (SESRO)
• Grand Union Canal Water Transfer
• Hampshire Water Transfer and Water Recycling Project
• Havant Thicket Reservoir

Quantifiable outcome

• Avoids 2.7 billion litres per day water shortfall by 2075
• +7 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Affinity WatercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffinity Water is one of six member water companies in the WRSE alliance. It is involved in multiple WRSE schemes including the Grand Union Canal Transfer (receiving up to 100 Ml/d of water transferred into the region), the Thames to Affinity Transfer (up to 100 Ml/d over two phases), and the South East Strategic Reservoir Option (SESRO) which will supply Affinity Water customers. Affinity Water is a key contributor to the regional plan and its Water Resources Management Plan is derived from WRSE's regional plan.
• Portsmouth WatercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPortsmouth Water is one of six member water companies in the WRSE alliance. It is co-developing the Havant Thicket reservoir with Southern Water (21 Ml/d, completion 2031) and is a contributor to the regional plan. Its Water Resources Management Plan is derived from WRSE's regional plan.
• SES WatercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSES Water is one of six member water companies in the WRSE alliance. Its Water Resources Management Plan for 2025-2075 was published as part of the WRSE-derived planning process. SES Water is included in the group of five water companies whose WRMPs received government approval.
• South East WatercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouth East Water is one of six member water companies in the WRSE alliance. It is progressing the Broad Oak reservoir (up to 12.6 Ml/d) through the RAPID process, and is involved in multiple desalination schemes including Reculver desalination (30 Ml/d by 2044). Its Water Resources Management Plan is derived from WRSE's regional plan.
• Southern WatercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouthern Water is one of six member water companies in the WRSE alliance and is involved in multiple key schemes including the Hampshire Water Transfer and Water Recycling Project (60 Ml/d, completion 2034), Havant Thicket reservoir (co-developed with Portsmouth Water), Thames to Southern Transfer (120 Ml/d), River Test Managed Aquifer Recharge, and multiple desalination and water recycling schemes. Its Water Resources Management Plan is derived from WRSE's regional plan.
• Thames WatercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThames Water is one of six member water companies in the WRSE alliance. It is the operator of SESRO (South East Strategic Reservoir Option, 271 Ml/d by 2040), the Teddington Direct River Abstraction (67 Ml/d by 2033), the Thames to Southern Transfer (120 Ml/d), and the Thames to Affinity Transfer (100 Ml/d by phases). Thames Water's WRMP is derived from WRSE's regional plan.
• RAPID (Regulators' Alliance for Progressing Infrastructure Development)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRAPID is an alliance between Ofwat, the Environment Agency, and the Drinking Water Inspectorate. It facilitates progress on major water infrastructure and overcomes potential regulatory barriers. 15 schemes in WRSE's regional plan are included in the RAPID gated process, including the three major reservoirs (SESRO, Havant Thicket, Broad Oak) and the Grand Union Canal Transfer. RAPID introduces flexibility so more water resource schemes can be included in the process, including schemes that are strategically important but do not involve two or more water companies.
• Canal & River TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Canal & River Trust is a key partner in the Grand Union Canal Transfer scheme, working alongside Affinity Water, Severn Trent Water, and WRSE. The Trust manages the canal network that will be used to transfer highly treated recycled water from Birmingham to Affinity Water's customers in the Luton area. The scheme will fund improvements to canal infrastructure and provide new wildlife habitats.
• Severn Trent WatercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSevern Trent Water is a partner in the Grand Union Canal Transfer scheme, providing highly treated wastewater from a recycling centre near Birmingham. The scheme forms part of both WRSE and Water Resources West's regional plans. Severn Trent Water's wastewater recycling output is advanced-treated and released into the canal for downstream abstraction by Affinity Water.
• Isle UtilitiessupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerWRSE is working with Isle Utilities to uncover opportunities for innovative water resource solutions across the region. Through the development of a new framework mechanism to identify and evaluate innovative solutions, Isle Utilities is helping WRSE investigate emerging and advanced technologies from across the globe, ensuring they can be consistently evaluated and fairly assessed for inclusion in the regional plan.
• Mott MacdonaldsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWRSE has worked closely with Mott Macdonald on detailed analysis of agricultural water demand across the region, funded by the Environment Agency. Mott Macdonald has supported the development of catchment-level heat maps, data analysis, and spatial mapping to identify water scarcity hotspots and support abstraction reform engagement with the agricultural sector.
• Water Resources WestcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWater Resources West (formerly Water Resources East) is another regional water resources group. The Grand Union Canal Transfer scheme forms part of both WRSE and Water Resources West's regional plans. WRSE also collaborates with Water Resources West Country on desalination studies along the South Coast. The groups coordinate to identify cross-regional transfers and ensure the country's future water needs can be met together.
• Tech UKsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerWRSE has begun discussions with Tech UK (industry trade body) to identify interventions that can deliver cross-sector mutual benefits and improve drought resilience for data centre developments. Potential opportunities include water recycling or non-potable supply options for cooling water for data centres.
• Confederation of Paper IndustriessupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerWRSE has begun discussions with the Confederation of Paper Industries to identify interventions that can deliver cross-sector mutual benefits and improve drought resilience for manufacturing operations, including where abstraction or recycled water sources could be aligned with industrial processes.
• NFU (National Farmers Union)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerWRSE engages with the National Farmers Union (including NFU East) to support farmers and agricultural abstractors in navigating abstraction reform. WRSE participated in NFU events such as the 'Building Resilience for Kent's Agricultural Water' event on 26 June 2025, working to establish areas of mutual benefit and support.
• South East Rivers TrustsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerWRSE works with the South East Rivers Trust on environmental work including river restoration and catchment management. Lee Dance from WRSE participated in 'safari' events with the South East Rivers Trust to understand river conditions and build relationships for the regional planning process.
• Blueprint for WatersupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerWRSE collaborates with Blueprint for Water on its podcast and thought leadership content, including episodes exploring Environmental Destination topics. Blueprint for Water provides expertise and perspectives on water environment issues for WRSE's communications.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Water UK: UK water industry trade association representing all water companies and major operators. Anchors the industry's collective representation to government, regulators and the public — overlapping policy remit with WRSE at national vs regional level.
• UK Water Industry Research (UKWIR): UK-wide collaborative research body for the water industry; overlaps with WRSE on strategic water resource research but serves a broader, national agenda across multiple water company topics.

Others

• Ofwat: Economic regulator for the water sector in England and Wales. Approves water company business plans that derive from WRSE's regional plan, making it the principal downstream gatekeeper for plan execution.
• RAPID (Regulators' Alliance for Progressing Infrastructure Development): Alliance of Ofwat, the Environment Agency and the Drinking Water Inspectorate that gates and funds the schemes WRSE plans. Not a competitor but the immediate counterparty for 15 of WRSE's flagship projects.
• Environment Agency: Statutory authority that owns the National Framework for Water Resources and funds parts of WRSE's work, including agricultural demand analysis via Mott Macdonald. Functions as upstream regulator and partial funder of WRSE's planning output.

Regional players

• Scottish Water: Single vertically integrated water utility in Scotland with a planning and investment mandate analogous to WRSE's role for SE England, but at a national-regional scale and as a regulated monopoly operator rather than an alliance.

Direct peers

• Water Resources West: Sister regional water resources planning group covering western England and parts of Wales; co-develops the Grand Union Canal Transfer scheme with WRSE. Operates the same statutory planning model and uses the same regulator-facing methodology.
• Water Resources North: Regional water resources planning group covering the north of England under the same National Framework for Water Resources. Direct parallel in function and statutory mandate to WRSE.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/water-resources-south-east

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Water Resources South East