Opt-out competition claims against UK water and sewerage companies

Professor Roberts, a water resource management specialist, will represent a significant class of UK bill-paying households to bring standalone competition damages claims in the Competition Appeal Tribunal against water and sewerage companies in England.

The claims being prepared arise from water companies’ alleged unlawful discharges of untreated sewage and wastewater into waterways.

Collective action competition claims allow claims to be brought on behalf of a group or groups of affected individuals against companies that break competition rules. They can be especially effective where the individual damages of each class member may be relatively small in value. Opt-out claims mean that individuals do not need to sign up to bring the claim; instead, everyone who has suffered loss is included unless they specifically choose to opt-out.

As well as providing individual compensation and justice, opt-out proceedings also act as a deterrent to future misconduct, as firms know that consumers can act together to hold them to account for any rule breaking.

Leigh Day are continuing to develop groundbreaking claims in this area.