How Can Better Water Data Help UK Businesses Manage Water Risk?

Understanding how water moves through the environment is becoming increasingly important as the UK faces more frequent periods of drought and flooding.

A new digital platform launched by the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology aims to improve that understanding by bringing together high-resolution hydrological data and analytical tools in one place. 

The Floods and Droughts Research Infrastructure (FDRI) Digital Platform is designed to help researchers, government and industry better understand, model and respond to extreme water events.

For businesses, the development highlights an important principle: better information can lead to better water management.

While the new platform is primarily intended for hydrological research and professional users, its launch reflects a wider shift towards using detailed data to understand water availability, consumption and risk.

Why does water data matter?

Water can be surprisingly difficult to manage if businesses do not have accurate information about how much they are using.

A company might receive a monthly or quarterly bill, for example, without having a clear picture of when consumption is highest, which processes use the most water or whether an unexplained increase could indicate a leak.

That makes it harder to identify waste and plan for changing conditions. The FDRI platform brings together information from multiple sources, including rainfall, river levels and flows, abstractions and other hydrological measurements. 

It includes high-resolution datasets and near-real-time information from three research catchments: the River Chess, Upper Severn and Upper Tweed.

The principle is relevant to businesses too. You cannot manage a resource effectively if you do not have a reliable picture of what is happening to it.

How can businesses monitor their own water use?

Businesses have access to their own sources of useful water data. Water meters provide the starting point, but organisations can go further by monitoring consumption at more frequent intervals.

Automated meter reading can provide detailed information about how much water a business is using and when. This can help reveal patterns that might otherwise be hidden by an occasional meter reading.

For example, if water consumption remains unexpectedly high overnight when a premises is largely empty, that could indicate a leak.

Similarly, a sudden change in consumption may correspond with a change in production, occupancy or equipment use. Having access to this information allows businesses to investigate rather than simply accepting a higher bill.

Could better data reduce water waste?

It can. One of the biggest benefits of monitoring is that it makes inefficiency easier to identify. A commercial water audit can combine meter data with an assessment of how water is being used around a premises. 

This can help establish where the greatest opportunities for reduction lie. Depending on the business, this could include:

• Identifying leaks and unusually high consumption
• Reviewing cleaning processes
• Assessing water used by kitchens and washrooms
• Examining manufacturing or processing requirements
• Monitoring irrigation and outdoor water use
• Reviewing cooling systems
• Comparing consumption between different sites

Once businesses know where their water is going, they can make more informed decisions about where investment or operational changes could have the greatest effect.

Why is this becoming more important?

The UK is dealing with a more complicated water environment. Periods of drought can reduce available supplies, while intense rainfall can create flooding and put pressure on drainage and sewerage systems. 

The FDRI project was established partly in response to the need for better understanding of these extremes as climate change increases pressure on water systems.

For businesses, this creates two related challenges. The first is availability. A business that depends heavily on water needs to consider what could happen if supplies become constrained.

The second is efficiency. Reducing unnecessary consumption can help lower costs while also reducing pressure on shared water resources.

These are not issues that only affect water-intensive industries. Offices, retail premises, hospitality businesses, schools, healthcare organisations and warehouses all have water requirements.

Can technology help businesses prepare for drought?

Technology cannot make water appear during a drought, but it can make businesses more aware of how they are using it. Detailed consumption monitoring can provide an early warning of problems and allow organisations to establish a baseline for normal usage.

That information can then support practical decisions. For instance, a business planning to install water-efficient equipment can compare consumption before and after the change. 

A company with several premises can investigate why one site uses considerably more water than another. An organisation experiencing an unexplained increase can look for leaks or operational changes.

This turns water efficiency into something that can be measured, tested and improved rather than treated as a one-off environmental exercise.

What role do commercial water suppliers play?

Data is also relevant when businesses review their relationship with their commercial water retailer. 

Eligible organisations in England can choose their water retailer, meaning there is an opportunity to compare business water suppliers rather than simply accepting an existing arrangement indefinitely.

Switching supplier will not change the physical pipes supplying a premises. However, retailers can differ in areas such as billing, customer service, account management and support for water efficiency.

Businesses should therefore consider more than just the headline cost when comparing commercial water providers.

Access to useful consumption information and effective support can make it easier for a business to understand its water use and address problems.

If a company has not reviewed its commercial water arrangements for several years, a supplier comparison can be a useful part of a wider water-management review.

Turning information into action

The launch of the FDRI Digital Platform demonstrates the growing importance of reliable, accessible water data in understanding flood and drought risks. 

The platform includes interactive tools for analysing time-series and spatial information, alongside open-source resources designed to support data-driven research. Businesses do not need sophisticated hydrological research infrastructure to adopt the same basic principle.

They can start with their own consumption data. Monitoring water use, investigating unusual patterns, carrying out audits and reviewing supplier arrangements can all help organisations build a clearer picture of their water requirements.

As the UK prepares for a future in which both drought and flooding present increasingly important challenges, better information can help businesses make more informed decisions about one of their most important shared resources: water.