A brief history
South Staffordshire Waterworks Company was set up by the South Staffordshire Railway Company in 1853 and remained in private ownership until 1973. At this time, the Water Act established the new regional water authorities that would manage water resources. It required the regional water authorities to operate on a cost recovery basis, with capital to meet investment requirements raised by borrowing from central government and revenue from services provided.

The water industry was privatised in 1989, and the Company became a public limited company as South Staffordshire Water PLC. In November 2004 the South Staffordshire Plc Group was acquired by new owners, and the Group was delisted from the Stock Exchange. (Read more of our history.)

Today, long-term pension scheme and institutional investors, advised by Arjun Infrastructure Partners, have the controlling interest in the Group, after acquiring 55.1% from KKR in July 2018 and the remaining interest from The Mitsubishi Corporation in 2022.

About South Staffordshire Plc

South Staffordshire Plc, the immediate parent company of South Staffs Water, ensures through its detailed knowledge of all its subsidiaries and the water sector that it understands the duties and obligations of a regulated company. Although some Directors sit on both of the Boards of South Staffs Water and South Staffordshire Plc, South Staffs Water acts, where applicable, with the support of South Staffordshire Plc, as if it were a listed company.

There are a number of UK registered intermediate holding companies in the Group structure, headed by Hydriades IV Limited, the ultimate holding company registered in the UK. There are also intermediate holding companies above Hydriades IV Limited which are registered in Jersey but which are resident in the UK for tax purposes. 

More information on the Group ownership structure can be found in our Annual Financial Accounts.