Charges and regulations

The scheme is for all customers including developers and self-lay providers.

In our resources section listed here you will find information on all charges which will help understand things like:

• General conditions, payment dates, options and charges
• Connection, disconnection, development and infrastructure charges
• Collection of domestic water debts
• Collection of commercial water debts
• Customer enquiries and complaints.

For further information, please see the useful documents listed.

For details of the Bristol Water code of practice on enforcement of the Water Regulations, please continue to read below.

We’ve created a new calculator to allow developers and SLP providers to calculate indicative quotes. This can be found within the ‘Useful documents’ section of this page.

Our charging arrangements are reviewed annually to ensure that our reasonable costs are covered and technical requirements are being met.

We continually seek improvement in our service, passing through efficiencies where identified. As we work on our charging proposals for next year we will carefully consider regulatory rules, guidance and change, as well as customer feedback, while balancing the five core charging principles.

Your feedback matters which is why we engage with our customers every year. Your views and opinions help us set our charging arrangement. You can find out more information and provide your feedback in our DS Charges Consultation document.

Our 2026/27 New Connections and Developer Services Charging Arrangements
For the upcoming charging year, we are placing a stronger emphasis on the principles of stability and predictability. This approach reflects the significant regulatory and internal changes that have taken place over the past five years.

We are not proposing any major changes to how our charges are structured. The model will remain consistent with our current 2025/26 arrangements. Most construction and non-construction charges are expected to adjust in line with inflation and certain external factors. Infrastructure Charges will continue to be determined based on planned investment to support growth within our operating area.

We value your input and would love to hear your views. Please share your feedback by emailing us at:

developer_services_questions@southwestwater.co.uk

Key questions for your consideration: -

• Do you agree with minimising changes and broadly aligning our charging structure with the current charging arrangement? 
• Thinking about the current 2025/26 charging arrangement what is working well and what would you like improved?
• Are any of our charges unclear or you would like more details?
• Do you understand the choices you have as a customer?