Majority Of UK Businesses ‘Unprepared’ For Water Supply Interruptions

The majority of businesses around the UK are currently unprepared for interruptions to their water supply, with new research revealing that just 21 per cent of companies have a water emergency plan in place at the moment.

Carried out by Water Plus and YouGov, the survey found that just 35 per cent of large companies have such a plan in place, while 17 per cent of construction firms, 19 per cent of hospitality businesses and 28 per cent of manufacturers have specific actions in place to deal with burst pipes, onsite water issues or water main leaks on networks outside a boundary of a business.

It was also found that, since July 2019, 16 per cent of large firms have had to bring their operations to a halt because of problems with their water supply onsite, with eight per cent having to shut their workplaces for over an hour, as a result.

And seven per cent of small businesses had to close their sites because of burst pipes and leaks, revealing just how important it is to ensure that you have an emergency plan in place.

Water Plus explains that contingency plans should include details on how much water you need, making sure that sourcing replacement water can be done as quickly as possible so that business operations can resume.

It’s also important to let staff members know what the plan is so that those who are onsite are able to take immediate action, highlighting any leaks or water issues they find.

Note that if there’s a supply interruption or a burst on the wholesaler network in your local area, Category 1 sensitive sites like hospitals will be given priority for emergency water deliveries and repairs, if disruptions do occur.

Businesses were also advised to monitor water usage and consumption regularly, at least once a month. If unexpected jumps in usage are seen, it could be indicative of a leak onsite.

Water leaks are incredibly common and, in fact, three billion litres of water is lost through leakage in England alone each and every day, so you may well have one on your premises without you even knowing about it. This can see costs start to spiral if you’re not careful, which is why water management is so very important.

A water audit is the first step to take in order to identify these leaks and any other issues you may have, and the team here at Switch Water Supplier can certainly help in this regard.

An audit will reveal any inconsistency that could have seen you being billed incorrectly, as well as allowing us to make recommendations on how you can reduce your bills and make your business more water resilient in the future. Get in touch with us today if you’d like to find out more about bill validation and our other services.