Water firms perceived as "profit-first" in new Ofwat trust poll

Half of the respondents to a recent Ofwat survey said water companies put the interests of their shareholders/owners first. The most selected phrase (41%) to describe water companies in the survey by Savanta, for Ofwat was "profit-first".

Only one-fifth felt water companies acted in the interests of customers or society, and one-fifth said firms are faceless, incompetent and complacent.

The December survey of over 2,000 people examined trust in and the reputation of the water sector, and views on river water quality. While two-thirds said they trusted their water company to provide a reliable service and ensure good water quality, only one-third trusted them to prevent sewage from entering waterways or to do no harm to biodiversity in the water environment. Trust to deliver all outcomes fell steadily over 2022.

On rivers, there was a significant gap between what respondents believe they should be able to do and what they can currently safely do – for instance, paddle, swim or fish. Over half said untreated sewage had the most negative impact on rivers from a list which included farm waste, unflushables and pharmaceuticals.