Complaining about your water company

You may have a complaint about your water bill, water supply or the standard of service you've received from your water company.

Read this page to find out how to go about making a complaint to your water company and what you can do if you're not happy with their response.

When you might want to complain to your water company

There are various reasons you might want to complain to your water company. This could include complaints about:

• failure to keep an appointment

• interruption to your water supply

• water pressure

• the way they have handled an account query.

You may be entitled to compensation for some complaints.

• For more about when you might want to complain to your water company and when you're entitled to compensation, see Claiming compensation from your water company.

Complaining to your water company

Each water company has a complaints procedure which is usually in two stages. If you write to the company, you should receive a reply within ten working days. If the company doesn’t reply in this time, they must pay £20 as compensation within ten working days. If they don’t pay the compensation in time, you can ask for a further payment of £10, as long as you do this within three months.

Complaining to the Consumer Council for Water (CCW)

If you’ve been through all the stages of your water company’s written complaints procedure and are still unhappy with their response, you can refer the matter to CCW. CCW is an independent consumer organisation which deals with complaints about water companies.

You can contact CCW by email or letter, attaching copies of any communication with the water company. You can also fill out an online form or telephone them.

CCW will look into the complaint and let you know the outcome. They may ask the water company to take action to sort out your complaint.

CCW will be able to handle your query more quickly if you contact the local office with responsibility for overseeing the water company you're complaining about.

If CCW can't settle your complaint - Water Redress Scheme (WATRS)

You can use the Water Redress Scheme (WATRS), to try to get your complaint resolved. An independent adjudicator will review the evidence from you and the water company, then make a decision about any redress or compensation that should be paid to you.

You can only use the WATRS if you've already done both of the following:

• followed your water company's complaints procedure

• complained to CCW

You can submit a case online on the WATRS website and should use the guidance notes provided to help you complete the form.

You can choose to accept or reject the WATRS decision. If you accept the decision, the water company is legally bound to give you the compensation ordered by the adjudicated. If you don't agree with the WATRS decision, you can choose to make a claim through the courts.

Complaining to OFWAT

In some cases, you may be able to complain to OFWAT, the water industry regulator, but only about certain things. You should approach CCW first as they will normally be able to deal with complaints more quickly. If appropriate, CCW will help you refer the complaint to OFWAT.

OFWAT can deal with complaints about:

• the laying of pipes across private land

• the costs of a connection

• the requirements made by a water company before connecting a water supply - for example, if you think the deposit you've been asked to pay is unreasonable

• a water company's refusal to allow you  to have a meter installed

• a water company's refusal to pay compensation under the OFWAT Guaranteed Standards Scheme.

• More about OFWAT's Guaranteed Standards Scheme

Taking your complaint further

If you're not happy with the way CCWater or OFWAT has dealt with your complaint, you can ask your MP to refer the matter to the Parliamentary and Health Ombudsman.

In certain cases, if the law has been broken and you are claiming damages from the water company, the claim will go through the courts.

An independent arbitrator may also make a decision about a complaint. An example of when this might happen is if a water company asks you to pay for a meter to be installed and there's a disagreement about the cost or where it should go.

Complaints about water quality and the environment

Not all water issues are dealt with by OFWAT or CCWater.

If your complaint is about water quality, you should contact the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI). For enquiries about private drinking water supplies contact the Environmental Health department of your local authority.

If you have an enquiry about the environment, contact the Environment Agency. The Environment Agency is responsible for maintaining or improving the quality of fresh, marine, surface and underground water.

Next steps

• Check how to make a complaint about your water company on the CCW website

• Check what type of complaints OFWAT deals with on their website

• If you need more help, contact the consumer helpline

Other useful information

CCW

23 Stephenson Street

Birmingham

B2 4BH

Tel: 0300 034 3333 between 8.30am and 5.00pm Monday to Friday

Relay UK - if you can't hear or speak on the phone, you can type what you want to say: 18001 then 0121 345 1044

You can use Relay UK with an app or a textphone. There’s no extra charge to use it. Find out how to use Relay UK on the Relay UK website.

You can also contact CCW using their online form.

Website: www.ccw.org.uk

OFWAT

Centre City Tower

7 Hill Street

Birmingham

B5 4UA

Tel: 0121 644 7500

Fax: 0121 644 7559

Relay UK - if you can't hear or speak on the phone, you can type what you want to say: 18001 then 0121 625 1422

You can use Relay UK with an app or a textphone. There’s no extra charge to use it. Find out how to use Relay UK on the Relay UK website.

Email: mailbox@ofwat.gsi.gov.uk

Website: www.ofwat.gov.uk

Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman

Millbank Tower

Millbank

London

SW1P 4QP

Enquiry helpline: 0845 015 4033

Service to request a ring back: Text ‘callback’ with your name and mobile number to 07624 813 005

Relay UK - if you can't hear or speak on the phone, you can type what you want to say: 18001 then 0300 061 4298

You can use Relay UK with an app or a textphone. There’s no extra charge to use it. Find out how to use Relay UK on the Relay UK website.

Website: www.ombudsman.org.uk

Email: opca.enquiries@ombudsman.gsi.gov.uk

Drinking Water Inspectorate

Area 4a

Ergon House

Horseferry Road

London

SW1P 2AL

Phone: 030 0068 6400

Fax: 030 0068 6401

Website: www.dwi.gov.uk

Email: dwi.enquiries@defra.gsi.gov.uk

Environment Agency

National Customer Contact Centre

PO Box 544

Rotherham

S60 1BY

Customer enquiries: 03708 506 506

Floodline: 0845 988 1188

Type talk Floodline: 0845 602 6340

Incident hotline: 0800 80 70 60

Website: www.environment-agency.gov.uk

Email: enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk