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Business Water for Food Production
Compare licensed water retailers for food production sites and put washdown, effluent and drainage charges under proper review.
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Home / Who we help / Food production
Last updated August 2026
Who we help
Business Water for Food Production
A food production site pays for water three times over. Clean water comes in for ingredients and washdown, trade effluent goes out under a consent, and surface water drainage is charged on the roof and yard. Each line is set separately, and each one can be wrong.
You can switch retailer. Food producers in England have had that right since 2017, and Scottish sites since 2008. This page covers where food production water costs come from, how the effluent side is charged, and where overpayment usually hides.
| Wholesale supply | Comes from regional water companies (Thames Water, Severn Trent, Yorkshire Water, and others). |
|---|---|
| Contracting | Single sites can contract directly with retailers, and groups can contract centrally across every site. |
| Biggest savings levers | Trade effluent strength reviews, return to sewer allowances and surface water drainage checks. |
| Trade effluent | Discharges from washdown and processing are charged under a consent, using measured strength and volume rather than a flat rate. |
| Market opened | England in 2017 and Scotland in 2008. |
| Licensed retailers | Around 20 are licensed by Ofwat to supply non-household water. |
Where the money goes
Why food producers pay more for water than they should
Food production bills carry more separately calculated lines than almost any other sector. Clean water, trade effluent strength charges, return to sewer assumptions and surface drainage each move independently, and an error in one line can sit unnoticed for years.
Hygiene rules make water use non-negotiable. Washdown runs every day, processing lines rinse between runs, and steam and cooling draw steadily. A default tariff prices all of it flat, and the effluent side is charged on measured strength that few sites ever re-test.
The return to sewer allowance is the quiet one. Water that ends up in the product, evaporates in cooking or leaves the site on vehicles never reaches the drain, yet many sites are billed as if nearly all of it did.
Where it shows up
The five areas food producers overpay
Where food production sites overpay and why it matters.
Trade effluent strength
Effluent charges follow measured strength and volume under the Mogden formula. If the process has changed since the consent was last reviewed, the strength figures driving the bill may be out of date.
Return to sewer allowance
Product take-up, evaporation in cooking and washdown that never reaches the drain all reduce the true discharge. The standard allowance rarely reflects a production site, and it can be challenged with evidence.
Surface water drainage
Large roofs and concrete yards drive the drainage banding. If rainwater drains to a soakaway or watercourse rather than the public sewer, the charge may not apply at all.
Leaks and creeping use
Long pipe runs and constant washdown hide slow leaks well. A steady rise in consumption with no change in output is worth investigating before the next bill rather than after it.
Tariff and meter checks
Meter size, tariff band and estimated readings all drift over time. A site that has never been re-read or re-banded is usually paying on assumptions rather than fact.
Results
Case studies
Recovered on historic surface water drainage charges that should never have applied.
Worth knowing
Eligibility and how the market works
Food production premises count as non-household supply, so they are eligible to switch retailer through the open market run by Open Water. England opened in April 2017 and Scotland has been open since 2008.
Trade effluent consents sit with the regional wholesaler and carry on unchanged when you switch retailer. Hygiene and compliance guidance for food businesses sits with the Food Standards Agency, and none of it is affected by who bills your water.
The market
Switch water supplier for your food production site
Yes. England’s non-household water market opened to competition in April 2017 and Scotland’s opened in 2008, so every food production site can choose a different water retailer. Wholesale supply still comes from your regional water company; only the retailer (the company that bills you and reads your meter) changes.
The 12 retailers below are all licensed by Ofwat to supply non-household water. Pricing, service and sector experience vary from retailer to retailer.
Choose your route
Routes to procurement
Three ways food producers typically bring a new water contract in. Each comes with its own trade-off between control, effort and how sharp the price lands.
Direct with a retailer
The site signs straight with a licensed retailer. Best for a single site that wants a sharper rate. You handle the comparison and the switch yourself.
Group-wide contract
Producers with several sites can put every one on a single central contract with one retailer. Efficient at scale, and one renewal date covers the whole estate.
Broker-led market test
A water broker compares the market for you, handles the paperwork and manages the switch from start to finish. Nothing changes on site.
Why choose The Business Water Shop
- Award-winning independent brokerage, not owned by or tied to any water retailer.
- Rated 5 stars on Google and 5 stars on Trustpilot by UK businesses.
- Experts with experience in business water for food production and process sites.
- We compare quotes from up to 14 licensed retailers.
- We handle the whole switch, from the comparison and paperwork to the supplier contact.
- One point of contact for multi-property portfolios.
Questions
Food production water FAQs
How do I get a quote?
Send a recent water bill for the site. The SPID, annual volume and current retailer are all on it. We come back within two working days with an alternative quote and a flag if anything looks worth checking on effluent strength or allowances.
Do we need a new trade effluent consent when we switch?
No. The consent is held with the regional wholesaler rather than the retailer. Switching changes the billing company only, and the consent carries on exactly as it is.
Can trade effluent charges be reduced?
Sometimes. Charges follow measured strength and volume, so re-testing after a process change, correcting the return to sewer allowance or removing surface water errors can all bring the number down. It depends on evidence rather than negotiation.
Who fixes a burst pipe or supply problem?
The regional wholesaler still owns and maintains the network up to your boundary, whichever retailer you choose. Anything on the private side of the meter remains your responsibility.
Will switching disrupt anything on site?
No. A switch is paperwork rather than plumbing. There is no interruption to supply, no engineer visit and nothing changes in production.
We run several production sites. Can they go on one contract?
Yes. Retailers operate nationally, so a group can consolidate sites in different wholesaler regions onto a single retailer, one contract and one point of contact.
Does VAT apply to our water bill?
It depends on your SIC classification. Manufacturing activities, including much of food production, are standard rated for the clean water supply, while sewerage and trade effluent services are treated differently. Your accountant can confirm the position for your registration.
