Thames Water opened account in my name at 18 — am I liable?

[Koko123]

Hi, I’m hoping someone can help me understand whether I am legally liable for a Thames Water debt that has been accumulating in my name since 2020.
Here is the background:
In 2020 I was 18 years old and in sixth form, living at home with my mother in a council flat in the London Borough of Brent. Thames Water opened an account in my name using a credit footprint linked to the property. I did not contact Thames Water, did not sign anything, and did not consent to the account being opened.
My mother was the named tenant on the tenancy with Brent Council. I was a dependent occupant, not the tenant.
Nothing has been paid on this account since it was opened. The debt has now accumulated to approximately £3,358, broken down as follows:
∙ £750.93 current charges (April 2026 to March 2027)
∙ £848.72 passed to a debt collection agency
∙ £1,759.32 listed as unpaid debt on the bill, noted as having impacted my credit score
My questions are:
1. Given that my mother was the named tenant and I was a dependent occupant, is the liability correctly assigned to me under the Water Industry Act 1991?
2. Thames Water opened this account using a credit footprint without my consent — is this lawful and does it create a legally enforceable debt?
3. Do I have grounds to challenge this debt and have it reassigned or written off entirely?
4. What steps should I take to protect and repair my credit file while this is being disputed?
Any advice appreciated. Thank you.

[PallasAthena]

Any adult living at the premises is jointly responsible for water charges and can be billed. It's about who is occupying the property and using the water supply not whose name is on the tenancy agreement. Water Act 1991 s144.

Water companies are entitled to "trace and search" to identify who is occupying a premises if the occupier has not opened an account. "Trace and search" can include using a credit footprint and other CRA information. This does not require the occupier's consent. They can then bill the occupier they have identified. If they have made an incorrect identification they must delete the charges.

The occupier is legally liable to pay the water charges under the Water Act so an account created this way is in principle a legally enforceable debt although there are billing rules the water company must follow.

Have you been living there continuously since 2020? Are you still living there? Is your mother still living there?

Have Thames Water been sending bills to where you live addressed to you by name since 2020? What did you do with them?