Who does what ยท Piece
Cambridge Water, Anglian Water and who to call
Cambridge Water or Anglian Water depends on your address. CCW places Cambridge Water across Cambridge, out to Ramsey, Gamlingay, Balsham and Melbourn, and Anglian across the East of England. Your bill names your company.
Most useful for: Anyone in Cambridge or South Cambs unsure which body to contact
Compiled from the sources at the end. Updated .
Water supply is only one of the jobs people expect these names to cover. Sewerage, drinking water quality and complaints sit with different bodies, and no village-by-village list of suppliers was available for this site. Your bill is the quickest answer, and it may show one company for water and another for sewerage.
How far does Cambridge Water's area reach?
CCW, the consumer body, says Cambridge Water covers Cambridge and extends to Ramsey in the north, Gamlingay in the west, Balsham in the east and Melbourn in the south. It lists Anglian Water for the East of England. The DWI's regional list includes both for the Central and Eastern region.
Why can a postcode mislead?
TapWater.uk, a secondary source that sells softener quotes, lists Cambridge Water for CB1, CB4, CB21, CB22, CB23 and CB24, Anglian for CB25 and CB6, and Affinity for SG8. Districts are too coarse to settle a single village. Melbourn shows the trap: CCW places it in Cambridge Water's area, while SG8, a wide district, appears under Affinity. Do not work out your supplier from a postcode alone; ask the company named on your bill.
Who handles sewerage?
Your bill will show who charges you for it. Cambridgeshire County Council names Anglian Water as an example of the companies responsible for flooding from their pipes, including sewage, and works with Anglian on flood investigations. That does not amount to a statement covering every South Cambs address, so treat the bill as the answer. For an overflowing sewer, GOV.UK says to contact your water company. Who looks after which drain is on the shared pipes and drains page.
Who owns Cambridge Water?
Companies House lists Cambridge Water PLC, company number 03175861, at 90 Fulbourn Road, Cherry Hinton, with South Staffordshire Limited as a controller at 75% or more. There is an oddity here. Companies House classes that company's nature of business as dormant (SIC 99999), and the DWI's 2025 report uses the name "South Staffs Water". Which legal entity holds the licence today was not clear from those records, and this site does not name anyone further up the chain. For everyday purposes, deal with the name on your bill.
What do the DWI and CCW each do?
The Drinking Water Inspectorate gives independent reassurance on drinking water. It cannot deal with bills or compensation. CCW is the independent voice for consumers, gives free advice and takes up unresolved complaints, including problems with guaranteed standards payments.
So a complaint normally goes to the company first, then CCW if it stays unresolved. A question about what is in your water goes to the company, and DWI's pages explain the standards it works to. The standard for pressure, for instance, comes with payments the company can owe when it fails.
Who to call
| Problem | Who |
|---|---|
| Gas smell or suspected carbon monoxide | Get out first, then call 0800 111 999 from outside |
| Checking a gas engineer | Gas Safe Register, 0800 408 5500 |
| Gas safety advice | HSE, 0800 300 363 |
| Power cut or electrical hazard | 105 |
| Overflowing sewer | Your water company |
| Water quality or a lead test | Your water company |
| Unresolved water complaint | CCW |
| Flood warnings and risk information | Floodline, 0345 988 1188 |
| Live flood or main river blockage | Environment Agency, 0800 80 70 60 |
| Asbestos at home | Council environmental health |
| Private water supply | South Cambridgeshire council |
| Boiler Upgrade Scheme | Ofgem, 0330 053 2006 |
Those rows draw on HSE on carbon monoxide, HSE on the Gas Safe Register, GOV.UK during a flood, DWI on lead, Floodline, the County Council, HSE on asbestos, South Cambs and Ofgem.
No switches, no flames. Open doors and windows, leave the building, then call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999 from outside. The steps for an alarm or symptoms are on the gas smell and carbon monoxide page.
Who does which job
- Mains water and water bills
- The company named on your bill
- Sewerage
- Your bill will show the company
- Reassurance on drinking water
- DWI, but not bills or compensation
- Unresolved complaints
- CCW
- Private water supplies
- South Cambridgeshire council
Other questions on this
Can I choose between Cambridge Water and Anglian Water?
Nothing used for this page suggests a household can pick. Your supplier follows your address, so the bill is the place to look. CCW can advise if something seems wrong.
Who looks after a private water supply in South Cambs?
The council regulates them. If you are on one, its pages are where to start, not the water company's. The same council says PFOS was found in the Duxford aquifer, reported in February 2022, and that Cambridge Water removed the source.
Who tests my tap for lead?
Your water company will test at the kitchen tap on request and give written advice. The lead testing page explains what to do while you wait.
Sources, read 4 November 2026: CCW: water companies; CCW: about; CCW: complaints it can help with; Drinking Water Inspectorate; Drinking Water Inspectorate: bills and compensation; Drinking Water Inspectorate: Central and Eastern region; Drinking Water Inspectorate: Drinking Water 2025; Drinking Water Inspectorate: lead in drinking water; Companies House: Cambridge Water PLC; Companies House: persons with significant control; Cambridgeshire County Council: flooding, who is responsible; Cambridgeshire County Council: flood investigations; South Cambridgeshire: private water supplies; GOV.UK: during a flood; GOV.UK: check long term flood risk; HSE: carbon monoxide; HSE: Gas Safe Register; HSE: asbestos FAQs; Ofgem: Boiler Upgrade Scheme for property owners; TapWater.uk: CB1 (secondary, sells softener quotes); TapWater.uk: CB25 (secondary); TapWater.uk: SG8 (secondary).