Yorkshire Water
Water company. Products & services: Water & sewerage.
Updated: 3 August 2026
Company Overview
- Industry
- Water and wastewater (regional monopoly)
- Parent company
- Kelda Group
- Regulator
- Ofwat (economic); Drinking Water Inspectorate (drinking water); Environment Agency (environment)
- Ombudsman
- Consumer Council for Water (CCW) reviews complaints; the Dispute Resolution Ombudsman provides binding ADR
- Customers
- Around 5.4 million people across Yorkshire (company figures vary between roughly 5.2 and 5.7 million)
- Founded
- 1989 (Yorkshire Water Services Limited incorporated 1 April 1989)
- Legal entity
- Yorkshire Water Services Limited (Companies House no. 02366682)
What customers complain about
Customers most often complain to Yorkshire Water about billing and charges (the largest complaint category across the water sector), water and wastewater service problems, sewer flooding and pollution incidents, and metering. As a regional monopoly, dissatisfied household customers cannot switch, so escalation runs through the company's own two-stage process, then CCW, then a binding decision from the Dispute Resolution Ombudsman. CCW's 2024-25 household complaint-handling report rated Yorkshire Water poor on both complaint volume and complaint handling, among the weakest water and sewerage companies. Yorkshire Water has also faced significant regulatory action over its wastewater and storm-overflow performance, including a £40m Ofwat enforcement package agreed in March 2025.
Complaint categories
- 1Billing and charges
Bills, charging and affordability are the single largest complaint category across the water sector, driven in part by bill increases.
CCW reported that billing accounted for around two-thirds of complaints made to water companies (63%) and to CCW (66%) in 2024-25. - 2Water and wastewater service
Problems with the water supply and with wastewater/sewerage service are a recurring source of complaints to water and sewerage companies like Yorkshire Water.
- 3Sewer flooding and pollution
Sewer flooding, storm overflows and pollution incidents have been a prominent issue for Yorkshire Water.
Ofwat's investigation found Yorkshire Water discharged untreated wastewater into rivers for an average of seven hours a day in 2023, leading to a £40m enforcement package in March 2025. - 4Metering
Water meters and metered charging are among the issues customers raise with water companies and CCW.
Contact methods
- Yorkshire Water complaints0345 1 24 24 24
- Yorkshire Water (post)Write to Yorkshire Water, PO Box 52, Bradford, BD3 7YD.
- Consumer Council for Water (CCW)Independent consumer body; can take up your complaint if you are unhappy with Yorkshire Water's response.
- Dispute Resolution Ombudsman - binding decisionThe water sector's alternative dispute resolution provider, appointed via Water UK in 2026. Free, independent decisions on deadlocked disputes after CCW; a decision is binding on the company if you accept it.
Complaint journey
- 1
Complain to Yorkshire Water (Stage 1)
Raise your complaint directly with Yorkshire Water first.
Typical response7 working days (written)What happens
Contact Yorkshire Water by phone on 0345 1 24 24 24, online, or by post to PO Box 52, Bradford, BD3 7YD. The company aims to resolve issues on first contact and, if it cannot, to reply to a phone contact by the end of the next working day. For complaints made in writing (letter or email) it aims to respond within 7 working days of receipt.
- 2
Ask for a Stage 2 review
If you are unhappy with the first response, ask for it to be reviewed.
Typical responseWithin 8 weeksWhat happens
If you are not satisfied, ask for your complaint to be escalated. A team member who has not previously handled your case will review it. If your complaint is still unresolved eight weeks after you first raised it, you can go to CCW.
- 3
Take it to CCW
The independent consumer body can chase and mediate your complaint.
Typical responseVariesWhat happens
The Consumer Council for Water (CCW) is the independent statutory body representing water consumers. It can take up your complaint with Yorkshire Water and try to resolve it, including chasing any disputed Guaranteed Standards Scheme payment. CCW is not a court and does not impose binding decisions.
- 4
Refer to the Dispute Resolution Ombudsman
A deadlocked dispute can go to independent adjudication.
Typical response20 working daysWhat happens
If CCW cannot settle the dispute, you can refer it to the Dispute Resolution Ombudsman, the water sector's alternative dispute resolution provider appointed via Water UK in 2026. It is free to customers and covers disputes about bills and payments, metering, water supply and wastewater. Its decision is binding on Yorkshire Water if you accept it.
Response times
Yorkshire Water aims to resolve issues on first contact where possible. If it cannot resolve a phone contact immediately, it aims to reply by the end of the next working day. For complaints made in writing (letter or email) it states it will respond within 7 working days of receipt. If your complaint remains unresolved eight weeks after you first raised it, you can escalate to CCW; a subsequent binding decision comes from the Dispute Resolution Ombudsman if the dispute remains unresolved.
If your complaint isn’t resolved
If Yorkshire Water can’t put things right, you can escalate — free of charge — to an independent body:
Recent news
- 20 March 2025
Yorkshire Water agreed a £40m enforcement package with Ofwat over failings in the management of its wastewater treatment works and sewer network, including storm overflows. This was reduced from a £47m penalty proposed in August 2024.
Read more - 6 August 2024
Ofwat announced proposed penalties totalling £168m across Thames, Yorkshire and Northumbrian Water following a sewage investigation, with Yorkshire Water's proposed penalty set at £47m, open to consultation.
Read more
Earlier cases
- 22 July 2022
Historic: Yorkshire Water was fined more than £1.6m for repeatedly polluting Bradford Beck with sewage, after a storage tank in George Street, Bradford, was full of sewage for up to eight months in 2018, leading to 25 spills.
Read more
Know your rights
- Water Industry Act 1991 and the Guaranteed Standards Scheme (GSS)
The GSS, set by Ofwat under the water industry regime, requires companies to make fixed payments to customers for specified service failures (such as missed appointments, unanswered account queries and internal sewer flooding). Yorkshire Water must make qualifying payments, and CCW can help if a claim is disputed. This is general information, not legal advice.
- Consumer Rights Act 2015
Where Yorkshire Water supplies a service, that service should be carried out with reasonable care and skill. If it falls short you can ask for it to be put right. This is general information, not legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
Can I switch away from Yorkshire Water if I'm unhappy?
No. Yorkshire Water is the regional monopoly water and wastewater provider for most of Yorkshire, so household customers cannot choose another supplier. Your leverage is the complaints process, then CCW, then a binding decision from the Dispute Resolution Ombudsman.
How long does Yorkshire Water take to respond to a complaint?
Yorkshire Water aims to resolve issues on first contact; if it cannot resolve a phone contact immediately it aims to reply by the end of the next working day, and for written complaints it states it will respond within 7 working days of receipt. If it is still unresolved after eight weeks you can go to CCW.
Who regulates Yorkshire Water?
Ofwat is the economic regulator, the Drinking Water Inspectorate oversees drinking-water quality, and the Environment Agency regulates its environmental performance. Regulators enforce industry rules but do not resolve individual customer complaints – CCW and the Dispute Resolution Ombudsman handle those.
What is the water ADR route and is its decision binding on Yorkshire Water?
The Dispute Resolution Ombudsman is the water sector's alternative dispute resolution provider, appointed via Water UK in 2026. It provides free, independent, binding decisions on deadlocked water complaints after CCW's review. Its decision is binding on Yorkshire Water if you accept it.
Can I get a payment if Yorkshire Water misses a service standard?
Yes. Under the Guaranteed Standards Scheme, Yorkshire Water must make a fixed payment for certain failures, such as a missed appointment or an unanswered account query. If a payment is not made or is disputed, CCW can help you pursue it.
What people are saying
Real experiences from people who have contacted Yorkshire Water.
No stories in this category yet.
Join the conversationComment on other people’s stories or share your own experience.