Delivering essential services
We move more than 7 billion litres of water and wastewater through our water cycle, every single day. Have you ever wondered where it comes from?
Using natural sources such as rivers, we deliver clean water to your taps. Then we take your wastewater away, treat it, and return it where it came from. Back to the rivers, ready to start the cycle all over again.
From tea in the morning to brushing your teeth at night, we're here to deliver life's essential service.
How it works
Our step-by-step guide to the water cycle.
Water from natural sources
We take water from rivers and underground stores to reduce our impact on the environment. To meet the high demand for water, we use reservoirs to store extra supplies when river levels are high.
Cleaning water
A multi-step treatment process turns river water into top-quality drinking water. Every day, we clean enough water to supply an average of 2.7 billion litres. This serves nearly ten million people like you.
Delivering water to your taps
We pump clean water to your taps via our network of water pipes, some of which are over 150 years old. We’ve replaced over 1,900 miles of old pipes since 2006, helping to reduce leaks and save water.
Taking wastewater away
You use water for bathing, washing up and flushing the toilet. Wastewater goes down your drains and plugholes into our sewer network. We collect it and take it away for cleaning.
Treating wastewater
We transport your wastewater to one of our 354 sewage treatment works. We separate liquid and solids before treating them both to high standards.
Returning water to rivers
Once your water is clean enough, we recycle it back to rivers and waterways. We work hard to keep rivers clean, reduce pollution and manage flood risks in your local area.