Millions of Severn Trent Water customers could be included in a proposed legal claim alleging they were overcharged for sewerage services.
The claim alleges that Severn Trent underreported pollution incidents from its wastewater network. Lawyers argue that this allowed the company to secure higher price increases than it otherwise would have been permitted, meaning customers may have paid more for sewerage services than they should have.
The proposed claim is separate from enforcement action taken by environmental regulators over pollution incidents, although it relies on allegations that pollution data was not accurately reported to regulators.
If you paid Severn Trent Water for sewerage services between 1 April 2017 and 2 August 2023, either directly or through your rent, you could be included in the proposed claim.
If the claim is ultimately allowed to proceed and succeeds, eligible customers would automatically be included unless they choose to opt out. You do not need to register to be part of the claim, but you can sign up for updates so you don’t miss any important developments.
Similar proposed claims have also been brought against Anglian Water, Northumbrian Water, Thames Water, United Utilities and Yorkshire Water.
Where is the case up to?
Professor Carolyn Roberts, an environmental and water specialist, is bringing the proposed claim on behalf of Severn Trent Water customers.
The Competition Appeal Tribunal initially refused to certify the claim, and the Court of Appeal later upheld that decision. However, in July 2026 the UK Supreme Court granted permission to hear an appeal.
This means the UK’s highest court will now consider whether the proposed claims should be allowed to proceed as collective actions. No findings have yet been made on the underlying allegations against Severn Trent Water.
The combined value of the six proposed water company claims is estimated to be between £800 million and £1.5 billion.
If the claims are eventually certified as opt-out collective actions, there will be no cost to eligible consumers to be included.
Join the Claim is not involved in running this claim. We monitor developments, explain what they mean for consumers and, where appropriate, signpost people to the official claim website.
Join the Claim connects consumers with trusted, SRA-regulated law firms. For this claim, we’re not directly involved, but we’ll keep you informed. Where possible, we’ll share links to official claim websites or updates as they become available.
- Last Updated: July 2026
