Template email for your initial complaint to Southern Water
This is the email to send when you first withhold your wastewater payment. Write to Southern Water at customerservices@southernwater.co.uk. I’d recommend against using their online contact form as then you won’t have a written record of your complaint.
Keep it factual. Do not use the word ‘boycott’.
— TEMPLATE LETTER START —
To whom it may concern,
After careful consideration, I have decided I can no longer pay for the wastewater treatment portion of my Southern Water bill.
I have today paid £[AMOUNT] for my incoming water supply, which I am receiving. I am withholding £[AMOUNT] for wastewater treatment, as I am disputing the accuracy of this charge. Southern Water is legally obligated to treat and responsibly dispose of my wastewater. Based on substantial and well-documented evidence – including its record £90 million fine in 2021 for nearly 7,000 illegal sewage discharges, and ongoing sewage spills along the Sussex coast – I do not believe this service is being delivered to an acceptable standard.
I am raising this as a formal complaint and request that you clarify why I am being charged for wastewater treatment that is not taking place.
In accordance with Ofwat’s Paying Fair guidelines, I request that my account be placed on hold and that collection activity be paused while this complaint is being investigated. Please confirm this in writing.
I understand that Southern Water is legally required to respond to this complaint within 10 working days. If I am not satisfied with your response, I will escalate this matter to the Consumer Council for Water (CCW).
Please send all future correspondence in writing.
Yours sincerely,
[Your name]
Note – I try to find recent news and stats for this letter so you’re onlt citing news from years ago. A quick search will always find something as there are sewage dumps happening constantly!
A note on follow-up letters
Each time a new bill arrives, I send a short follow-up to Southern Water confirming that I have again paid the water supply charge but not the wastewater charge, and that my reasons remain the same as my original complaint. This keeps your paper trail current and demonstrates consistent, good-faith engagement.
Escalation – useful organisations
If Southern Water does not resolve your complaint, here is the escalation route in order:
1. Consumer Council for Water (CCW)
The first port of call after Southern Water. You can escalate once you have their final response, or after eight weeks without resolution. You do not need Southern Water’s consent.
2. Dispute Resolution Ombudsman
The next step if CCW cannot resolve the matter. Note: only accessible through CCW, not directly.
3. Ofwat
The water industry regulator. Handles specific regulatory complaints rather than individual billing disputes.
4. Environment Agency
For reporting specific pollution incidents or environmental concerns.
Check for sewage alerts near you
Surfers Against Sewage: Safer Seas Service
Real-time sewage pollution alerts for beaches across the UK, including Brighton and Hove.
Southern Water’s own interactive map showing current and recent storm overflow releases on the Sussex coast.
The Rivers Trust live sewage map
Real-time information on sewage spills into rivers across England and Wales.
Further reading and watching
Channel 4’s three-part docudrama about the UK sewage scandal, first broadcast February 2026.
The national campaign site that helped inspire this one. Useful resources, FAQs, and a network of local groups.
Detailed reporting on Southern Water and the boycott movement from the Kent coast.
Hastings Boycotts Southern Water
A local boycott group in East Sussex, worth following.
CCW’s position on boycotting sewerage charges
Important reading before you start.
The guidance that underpins the argument for pausing debt collection while a bill is disputed.