Five UK water companies have appeared in court proceedings for the first time over allegations of under-reporting pollution incidents and over-charging customers as a result.
The claims are being brought by Professor Carolyn Roberts, a water resource management specialist, on behalf of an estimated 20 million affected customers. Law firm Leigh Day, which is representing Prof Roberts, said households could receive a share of up to £800 million in compensation if successful.Legal representatives for the five firms appeared at the Competition Appeal Tribunal in London for a preliminary hearing in London on Tuesday.
This “certification” hearing will take place over a week from September 23. But Mr Justice Marcus Smith also set the date for a second hearing from January 13 2025, which can cover any additional issues due to the complex questions around Ofwat’s own investigations and powers under the Competition Act.
He later added: “We may not neatly resolve everything in the week allocated as ‘week one’. We very much anticipate and hope to do so but these are knotty issues and we are at an early stage, so we want to have that adverse contingency covered off.”