Water companies face credibility crisis as consumers reject weather-blame for supply failures
New Release
The Harris Poll UK research reveals public scepticism over industry explanations, with infrastructure underinvestment cited as primary cause
Water companies risk further damaging public trust by attributing supply disruptions primarily to weather events, new research from The Harris Poll UK suggests. A survey of 1,000 UK consumers found that the public overwhelmingly blames systemic failures rather than climate factors for recent water supply crises, creating a significant credibility gap for industry leaders.
The findings come as South East Water's CEO cited "climate change impacts" as a key factor in the Christmas disruption affecting over 24,000 homes in Tunbridge Wells. However, only 17% of consumers identify extreme weather as the main cause of recent supply issues, while over one-third (35%) point to ageing infrastructure and underinvestment, followed by poor management and planning (28%).
Consumer scepticism undermines weather-focused explanations
The research reveals a fundamental disconnect between company explanations and public perception. Despite repeated references to unprecedented weather events by water company executives, consumers are demonstrating increasing sophistication in distinguishing between climatic challenges and systemic operational failures.
"The data shows consumers aren't buying the weather excuse," said Steve Brockway, Chief Research Officer at The Harris Poll UK. "When companies blame external factors while the public sees internal failures, it creates a credibility problem that compounds the original service issue. Water companies risk being seen as deflecting responsibility rather than addressing root causes."
Monopoly status intensifies trust requirements
With consumers unable to switch water suppliers—unlike other utilities—the relationship between price, investment, and service becomes critically important. The research found that 63% of consumers see underinvestment and poor management as the primary issues, while 40% want better long-term planning and infrastructure investment as the key to rebuilding trust.
This presents a unique challenge for the water sector. While 73% of consumers cite price as important across all home utilities, the monopoly nature of water supply means customers cannot vote with their feet. Instead, they demand transparency about how their bills translate into infrastructure resilience.
Reputational crisis requires investment transparency
The research suggests water companies face a reputational crisis that external blame cannot resolve. With ageing infrastructure and poor management cited as the top two causes of disruptions, the sector must demonstrate how customer payments and company profits are being reinvested to prevent future failures.
Sarah Beams, Managing Director of The Harris Poll UK, commented: "Water companies are in a unique position—customers can't choose their supplier, so the traditional relationship between price, service, and competition doesn't apply. This means trust becomes even more critical, and that trust is built through demonstrated investment in infrastructure, not explanations about weather.
"The generational data is particularly telling. Younger consumers are more likely to blame management failures, while older consumers focus on infrastructure neglect. Both perspectives demand the same response: visible, credible investment in system resilience rather than reactive explanations for system failures."
Climate adaptation demands proactive investment
Consumers expect resilient infrastructure designed to cope with changing conditions. The low attribution to weather factors indicates public expectation that water companies should have anticipated and prepared for climate impacts through systematic investment rather than reactive messaging.
Sector recommendations
The research points to clear priorities for water companies seeking to rebuild trust:
Demonstrate transparent links between customer bills and infrastructure investment
Set out credible long-term plans for supply resilience in changing climate conditions
Focus messaging on proactive system improvements rather than reactive explanations
Acknowledge management and investment failures rather than deflecting to external factors
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For press information please contact ukmedia@harrispoll.com.
About The Harris Poll UK
The Harris Poll UK, a Stagwell company, is a leading customer experience and consumer insights company helping Britain's best-known companies understand what matters most to their customers. Combining sector expertise with digital research tools, behavioural science, and agile methods, The Harris Poll UK delivers real-time insights from over one million survey responses and 40,000 emotion data points each month.
For more information, visit https://www.theharrispoll.co.uk/