For decades, water has been regarded by many manufacturers as a reliable utility, rather than a strategic resource.
The events of summer 2026 have challenged that assumption.
With restrictions introduced across England and growing pressure on water resources, manufacturers are increasingly treating water resilience as a business-critical issue alongside energy, supply chain security and workforce planning.
The business case for taking action and improving water management has been seen – and acted upon – by a range of operations already this year, protecting production and the bottom line.
Here’s what to know and the actions to take.
Why it’s important – the world we’re in
Water is fast becoming a topic that directors and even boards have interest in.
Climate resilience, ESG reporting, water scarcity risks, increasing pressure on industrial water demand and operational resilience are meaning water should no longer be the forgotten utility.
We’re also witnessing shifts in the UK weather, with increased temperatures and drier spells.
In fact, Summer 2026 saw 10 wholesalers in England bring in hosepipe restrictions which were still in place in late October, with autumn seeing severe drought announced in areas of Cornwall and Sussex. Three wholesalers also applied for further measures, including the power to bring in a Non Essential Use Ban (NEUB), following multiple heatwaves and increased demand.
The water resource situation had a range of impacts on businesses, including manufacturers.
Mindful of lower rainfall and with water scarcity risks for England in the future, water wholesalers can introduce reductions for water use at specific business sites, including manufacturing, or prevent additional water use.
They can also take further action for water efficiencies to be brought in much sooner, at a site, which could also drive added unplanned costs.
This backdrop is why more manufacturers are taking steps in 2026 to safeguard their water supply, increase efficiencies and monitor use more closely.
Essential site checks to make – look out for leaks
Regular site checks can make the difference on spotting areas where leaks can occur.
From damp patches in buildings, water on tarmac on sunny days, or even areas where grass is growing quicker, there are a number of signs to watch out for.
At times, some leaks can be hiding in plain sight when operations are running 24/7 – though there are steps to take that can help spot these.
These can be seeping away unseen and could even cause water to stop flowing, impacting operations and adding to costs.
In fact, hidden leaks can be a significant drain for manufacturers.
One manufacturer found 10,000 litres an hour of water loss happening underground at a site in 2026, which could have cost more than £300,000 in additional annual wholesaler water charges. A data logger installed this year through Water Plus and leak detection visit located the issue.
If there is a water issue, like a leak, acting fast can prevent wider damage at a site, as well as stopping water losses from a leak increasing further.
That’s why simple annual steps, such as ensuring stop taps work correctly and remain in the right locations, can make a material difference. Quick access to shut‑offs reduces the impact of leaks and prevents avoidable increases in wholesaler charges.
Detailed water data is driving analysis and informed decisions
Additional data and analysis around water use is proving to be a game-changer for manufacturers.
Data loggers and digital monitoring platforms are giving manufacturers unprecedented visibility of consumption patterns, helping them to identify efficiency opportunities, inefficiencies and hidden losses that would otherwise remain unnoticed.
Two manufacturers have had more than 20 data loggers installed on water meters in 2026, to help with closer monitoring and analysis of their water use.
Other manufacturers have added data loggers on Trade Effluent meters in 2026, through Water Plus, to get a better overview and analysis of volumes across multiple sites during the week.
And another manufacturer benefited from a data logger being installed in 2026 which showed 17,000 litres of water an hour continually flowing, allowing it to take more steps to investigate use, to drive efficiencies up and operational costs down.
Review your approach and site set-up to find more opportunity
Taking a strategic view of water use can provide greater opportunities for efficiencies.
Water audits and process audits have taken place this year at sites to uncover more areas for progress. These are providing the targeted and tailored insight for manufacturers to take more action around water efficiency.
Visibility is the foundation of water efficiency.
And increasing water efficiency can reduce energy use, where less water needs heating and less needs to be moved at a site. Better water use can also help shrink carbon footprints, with water efficiency lowering Scope 3 emissions, powering more progress on sustainability goals.
Alongside these audits, we’re working with a manufacturer around a new water strategy and assisting others to help water stewardship approaches to find further efficiencies and help action planning.
Water stewardship is not just about increasing tools to hand and knowledge in an organisation, it’s providing a framework to understand the water impact of a business and how to reduce risks, while building operational resilience around water scarcity risks for the UK. It’s developing technical skills around water mapping and conservation and can also help capture and build the business case for action.
Joint site reviews for multi-sites are also unlocking further areas to explore to cut utility bill costs and carbon emissions.
A £310,000 saving was delivered in 2026 for a site after their Key Account Manager identified an opportunity to challenge wholesaler costs. And 100% of the wholesaler charge reductions secured, went back to the customer, showing the power in our partnerships.
Shifting water risks to operational readiness – how to be better prepared
Having plans covering where water could be sourced if network supplies were to stop, or be reduced and making sure they reflect the current challenges, is an important step to take.
And manufacturers have been doing that this year, particularly after the summer, reviewing site plans and emergency water supply arrangements, as part of building operational resilience.
It’s not just a facilities management area, risks to continuous water supply is becoming an Executive and Board-level concern.
In fact, contingency planning is gaining greater interest and we’ve sourced tankers to top up water supplies for production and assisted with a number of site specific arrangements for customers this year, helping build operational resilience through collaborative customer partnerships.
There are some other key risk reduction actions to take.
In depth knowledge of the site schematics and mapping of pipes, if the site network isn’t known, can help locate and isolate issues quickly.
Adding more water storage tanks on-site can help act as a top-up for any pressure drops, as well as covering outages and interruptions.
If you already have storage tanks, are they still operating efficiently? Check for leaks, or any other issues on storage tanks as these can be an added cost drain that can be missed in busier operations. Plus, these are also important to protect your site and keep it up and running.
What to take-away
The manufacturers seeing the greatest benefits are those treating water as a strategic asset rather than a utility cost.
As pressure on water resources continues to increase, organisations that invest in efficiency, visibility and resilience today will be better placed to protect production, manage costs and meet sustainability commitments tomorrow.
The challenges experienced this summer are unlikely to be a one-off event.
Manufacturers should assume that water stress, extreme weather and resource constraints will become increasingly common features of the operating environment over the coming decade.
Better water management is opening up wider opportunities – helping organisations protect revenue, strengthen operations and support performance growth.
And support is available from our expanded team, helping organisations increase water efficiency:
- Request water efficiency and resilience services: [email protected]
- Explore free resources on smarter water management: water-plus.co.uk/better-ways-with-water
- Discuss partnership opportunities: [email protected]
Why manufacturers choose Water Plus
You’ll have a trusted partner in Water Plus with the knowledge and insight into the water industry to help your challenges and source solutions for water and trade effluent.
In 2026, £580,000 in wholesaler charge savings have also been secured for three manufacturing sites, thanks to identifying opportunities and actions by the Water Plus Key Account Management team.
We can provide bespoke and cost-effective, industry specific solutions that positively impact the environment, while maintaining compliance. We can review water and effluent treatment, plant efficiencies and find opportunities to innovate, to cut carbon footprints and costs.
Our team has also been named Best Business Water Retailer, in the UK Enterprise Awards 2026 and is a 2025 UK Customer Satisfaction Award winner, from best practice leaders the Institute of Customer Service.
Helping customers increase water efficiencies has also been recognised, with our team being Finalists in the 2026 National Sustainability Awards, for Water Awareness and Conservation and the 2026 Water Industry Awards, for Water Efficiency Project of the Year.
We’re also proud our Net Zero targets have been validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), in a water retailer first (more about these targets are here).
Author: David Smith, Key Account Manager, Water Plus
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