Major UK dairy First Milk has become the first business customer to switch water supplier since new Defra regulations after it signed a deal with Severn Trent Costain (STC).
STC will supply, manage and monitor the dairy company’s water across six major sites in England, Wales and Scotland involving over 600 million litres of water per year.
The two organisations have already been working together to improve asset performance, deriving ongoing savings from day-to-day operational efficiencies and delivering plant optimisation.
First Milk is the first business customer to switch water supplier since the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) altered the regulations in December 2011. Defra reduced the threshold of business water usage for swapping water supplier from 50 to 5 megalitres a year, which means about 26,000 businesses can now choose their water supplier.
STC is a joint venture of water company Severn Trent and engineering firm Costain, which formed back in June as the companies looked to prepare for the competitive retail market for non-domestic customers expected to be introduced in 2017.
Managing Director, Wayne Earp said: “The competitive market is clearly now a reality and will drive innovation in the water industry. STC are focussed on taking the lead in creating enhanced services for customers, reducing their costs and making more efficient use of resources”.
STC said it will be installing state-of-the-art monitoring equipment at all of the six First Milk sites.
First Milk has recently set out its sustainability objectives within its first Sustainability Report, published October 2012. There are five specific programme areas within First Milk’s sustainability policy and improving the efficiency of water use at its sites, is a key objective within the ‘Reduce, Renew, Recycle’ pillar supporting their drive towards renewable energy, zero waste and recovered water use throughout the supply chain.
Paul Rowe, First Milk Manufacturing Director commented: “Being able to get a closer handle on our water usage is not just beneficial to our business, but to any business. We believe that this new contract with Severn Trent Costain will help us in our quest to meet some of the sustainability targets we have set ourselves as a business, and help prepare us for some of the short and long term challenges facing our industry.”
With the UK government demanding a 50% reduction in storm overflow spills by 2029, the era of reactive management is over. Speaking in the House of Commons on 21 July 2025, then environment secretary Steve Reed said, “This Government will cut water companies’ sewage pollution in half by the end of the decade.”
ERG, the leading supplier of odour control systems and industrial gas cleaning & thermal systems, has been awarded the coveted King’s Award for Enterprise.
Welsh Water’s new artificial intelligence-driven tool, ORAI, has been shortlisted for three categories at the prestigious British Data Awards 2026 – underscoring the company’s commitment to using cutting-edge technology to deliver better outcome for customers.
Barhale has completed work on two separate Rapid Action Taskforce Spills projects it is carrying out for Severn Trent.
Hear how Scottish Water has completed its £235 million Ayrshire Glasgow Resilience Project - customers across Greater Glasgow, Ayrshire and East Renfrewshire will now benefit from a more secure and resilient water supply.
Hear how United Utilities is accelerating its investment to reduce spills from storm overflows across the Northwest.
Find out more about the remarkable career opportunities on offer at WSP - scroll down to watch the inspirational video.