South Staffordshire Water

South Staffordshire Water is a United Kingdom based water supply company that treats and distributes drinking water. It operates under the regulatory oversight of Ofwat, the economic regulator for water and sewerage services in England and Wales. The company’s core activities include the abstraction of raw water, its treatment to potable standards, and distribution through a network of pipelines and storage facilities. It supplies water to customers across its defined service area in the United Kingdom.

The utility reports a customer base of approximately 1.6 million households and businesses. This figure reflects a substantial scale for a UK water supplier. Continuous service delivery is maintained through its operational control systems, which manage flow, pressure and quality. During the 2022 cyber incident, water safety and distribution remained unaffected, indicating the resilience of its supply infrastructure.

South Staffordshire Water relies on supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems to monitor and manage its water network. In August 2022 the company was targeted by the Clop ransomware group, which initially misidentified the victim as Thames Water before correcting the record. The attackers exfiltrated approximately five terabytes of data, including SCADA screenshots, personal identification documents and login credentials. They attempted to negotiate a ransom during a period of drought, seeking heightened leverage. Despite the data loss, the organization’s operational technology remained functional, allowing uninterrupted water supply to its customers throughout the episode.

South Staffordshire Water was formerly listed on the London Stock Exchange before being acquired by Severn Trent plc in 2017. Following the acquisition, it became a subsidiary of the Severn Trent group. As part of Severn Trent, the company continues to focus on drinking water supply while benefiting from the parent’s broader resources.