Risk of drought in UK grows after unusually dry start to spring Low river levels after dry April means river flows and groundwater levels have fallen ahead of the summer The Independent UK · May 12
Court orders campaigner to pay unpaid Southern Water wastewater bills Julie Wassmer has withheld paying for the sewage portion of her water bill since 2021. Evening Standard · Mar 26
Who are the key figures in the sewage crisis, and where are they now? With anger stoked by Channel 4’s drama Dirty Business, we look at what has happened to some of the main players The Guardian - UK · Mar 13
Five water firms prevented from increasing bills as much as they wanted The water firms argued they wanted to hike bills after Ofwat’s decision left them unable to meet regulatory requirements The Independent UK · Mar 10
Five water firms to hike customer bills by less than they wanted after ruling Anglian Water, Northumbrian Water, South East Water, Southern Water and Wessex Water will be allowed an average increase of 2.2% in customer bills. Evening Standard · Mar 10
Water firms sent bailiffs to tens of thousands of homes for debts under £1,000 Most recorded visits are for smaller debts, data from England and Wales suggests, though method of recovery is a postcode lottery The Guardian - UK · Mar 6
We’re financial experts. Here’s three simple ways to beat rising water bills Ofwat confirmed that household water bills would increase by an average of 5.4 per cent from April The Independent UK · Feb 27
Water bills are rising – how can you save money? Experts weigh in on the ways you can save money on your climbing water bills. The Independent UK · Feb 27
Southern Water admits 18-year meter mix-up – but insists we owe it more It kept on billing us for a neighbouring house’s supply although I live alone at my grandmother’s home The Guardian - UK · Feb 9
Customer complaints over water bills surge by 50% in England and Wales Number of households complaining rises to 16,000 in 2025, with Southern Water the biggest target The Guardian - UK · Jan 24
Troubled waters: How the UK’s water companies became a national disgrace Outages in Kent and Sussex this week became the latest in a long list of breakdowns in the UK’s creaking water system. Harry Cockburn asks how Britain can solve its utilities crisis The Independent UK · Jan 17
Southern Water accused of ‘failure’ after burst pipe leaves homes without running water on Christmas Day ‘Hastings once again is paying the price for the failures of Southern Water, ’ said local MP Helena Dollimore The Independent UK · Dec 26, 2025
Burst pipe leaves homes in East Sussex without water on Christmas Day Southern Water says incident led to ‘very low levels’ at reservoir and set up bottled water station for residents The Guardian - UK · Dec 25, 2025
Thousands in Hastings could face Christmas with no water after mains pipe bursts Southern Water warns households may begin losing water from Christmas Eve as system rapidly loses supply The Guardian - UK · Dec 23, 2025
The Guardian - UK · Dec 11, 2025 MP calls for ban on ‘biobeads’ at sewage works after devastating Camber Sands spillage Exclusive: Use of toxic plastic beads in treatment works is unnecessary and outdated, say conservationists
The Guardian - UK · Nov 18, 2025 At least 15 English sewage plants use plastic beads spilled at Camber Sands Exclusive: Experts urge water companies to update plants to avoid another catastrophe, as analysis reveals scale of use
The Guardian - UK · Nov 15, 2025 ‘We feel we’re fighting a losing battle’: the race to remove millions of plastic beads from Camber Sands A huge cleanup effort has seen volunteers working to remove beads by hand and machine. They can only wait and see the extent of damage to wildlife and dune habitat
The Guardian - UK · Nov 14, 2025 What are bio-beads used for and how did they get spilled on to Camber Sands beach? Plastic pellets attract algae and smell like food so can be eaten by birds, fish and dolphins, which can prove fatal
The Guardian - UK · Nov 14, 2025 Plastic beads spreading on Sussex coast after ‘catastrophic’ spill, meeting told Local people describe devastating impact of millions of toxic beads from Southern Water site near Camber Sands
The Guardian - UK · Nov 10, 2025 Southern Water apologises for catastrophic spill of plastic biobeads in Sussex Resulting pollution on Camber Sands beach poses threat to wildlife including dolphins and seals
International Business Times UK · Nov 10, 2025 Camber Sands Disaster: How Tiny Plastic Beads Sparked a Major Ecological Scare Along Britain's Coast Thousands of small plastic pellets, or biobeads, have washed up at Camber Sands in East Sussex, prompting authorities to investigate the source and begin a secured cleanup operation.
The Guardian - UK · Nov 8, 2025 ‘Environmental catastrophe’ fears as millions of plastic beads wash up on Camber Sands MP asks for explanation from Southern Water amid concerns the spill could have dire impact on rare sea life
The Guardian - UK · Nov 5, 2025 Bosses at six water firms had £4m in bonuses blocked under new rules, Ofwat says Regulator also considers forcing companies to report pay received from parent firms after Guardian investigation
Evening Standard · Nov 5, 2025 Thames Water among six water firms to have bonuses for top bosses blocked More than £4 million of potential bonuses were banned under new rules on performance-related executive pay, regulator Ofwat said.
Evening Standard · Oct 31, 2025 Southern Water lifts hosepipe ban for Hampshire and Isle of Wight The restriction was put in place in July following record dry and hot weather.