Two thirds of organisations face water disruption and many are unprepared

(by Verity Mitchell)

New research from Mitie has revealed senior leaders at more than half of UK organisations (53%) consider water a significant risk to their business. Rising water costs (50%), leakage (47%) and operational disruption (31%) emerged as the greatest concerns. With over two in five organisations (42%) worried about water-related risks in the near term, concern rises sharply to three in five (60%) over the longer term.

The survey of 500 UK senior decision makers revealed that while four in five (80%) leaders say they are confident in managing water systems, around four in ten (39%) lack access to accurate, real-time water data. Additionally, fewer than three in five (57%) factor water into strategic decision-making, and just one in six (15%) discuss it at a senior level.

Water-related challenges are already disrupting two thirds (64%) of UK organisations, losing an estimated £67,000 each year through ineffective water use.

Supply interruptions, leaks and system failures are causing increased operating costs (29%), reduced productivity and increased downtime (22%), and supply chain disruption (21%).

Most organisations expect water-related risks to intensify, while just under a third (29%) say they are unprepared to manage water scarcity, ageing infrastructure and climate-related pressures.

More than half (54%) of organisations have also experienced a water-related compliance breach, underlining how quickly operational issues can escalate into regulatory risk. With new regulatory requirements under AMP8, alongside evolving Defra policy, organisations will be under greater expectations to monitor usage, report transparently and actively reduce consumption.

The findings highlighted the need to rethink how organisations approach water use, moving beyond a reactive mindset to embed water within risk management and strategic decision-making. Taking greater control over how water is monitored, managed and prioritised will be key to improving resilience, reducing costs and avoiding disruption.

• At its Total Compliance conference last week, Mitie launched a Total Water service offering: a risk management service for water supply, usage, treatment and compliance within a single approach. Delegates agreed strongly that company boards needed to take water risk more seriously. The rising costs of water purchase, the risk of interruptions to supply and increasing regulatory risk associated with wastewater needed to be considered and addressed urgently, the meeting heard.