Road sweeping services company who illegally connected to Thames Water’s network ordered to pay nearly £20,000 in fines and costs.

• The Kilgannon Group, who provide road sweeping services to the construction industry, have been charged and convicted on 26 offences for illegally connecting to the Thames Water clean water supply network.
• The group have been ordered to pay £19,600 for repeated offences over the past seven years across their operations in London and the Thames Valley.  
•  As part of its efforts to use water effectively, Thames Water is committed and obligated to protect its clean water supply for customers.   

Thames Water is clamping down on illegal water connections, with road sweeping services company, Kilgannon Street Care Ltd and Kilgannon Street Care Environmental Ltd, enforced to pay £19,600 in fines and costs for repeatedly connecting unauthorised and unlicensed standpipes since 2017.  
 
The Kilgannon group have been prosecuted on four separate occasions for 26 offences, including at Lavendar Hill Magistrates Court on 21 September 2017, Camberwell Green Magistrates Court on 21 February 2019, Bromley Magistrates Court on 31 May 2022 and most recently at Reading Magistrates Court on 30 August 2024.  
 
Unauthorised connections can compromise the integrity of the clean water network when offenders do not pay for their connections, or the water consumed. With climate change and population growth putting a strain on water resources, Thames Water is taking action against those who illegally connect to its clean water mains.  
 
Since 2017 more than 470 separate offences were uncovered and prosecuted and over 550 retrospective charges have been issued for first offences. In total the business has recouped £500,000 in the last seven years which is then reinvested back into crucial work to provide clean and wastewater services to around 16 million customers across London and the Thames Valley.  
 
Claire Rumens, Thames Water’s illegal connections manager, said: “Our work to find and stop illegal connections helps us to uncover hundreds of offences and save millions of litres in water and uphold our statutory obligation to protect, control and maintain our clean water network.  
 
“As we ask our customers to use water wisely and have engineers working around the clock to find and fix leaks, we are also doing our part to stop illegal connections to our water supply. We will always look to work with individuals and companies to educate and reduce the risk of re-offending.”  
 
Thames Water Utilities Ltd (TWUL) have the right to prosecute all offences but may offer a one-off retrospective charge for a non-aggravated standpipe first offence. Standpipes can be hired from Thames Water’s authorised service provider. 
 
• To report an illegal connection or unauthorised standpipe connection email illegalconnections@thameswater.co.uk or call Developer Services on 0800 009 3921 
• For more information about obtaining Thames Water standpipes visit: https://www.thameswater.co.uk/help/home-improvements/standpipes 
• To apply for a new water supply through Developer Services visit: https://www.thameswater.co.uk/developers