The UK finds itself in deep water when it comes to sustainable hydration. While the nation enjoys some of the world’s safest tap water, new Culligan UK research reveals a striking paradox: 85% of Britons own reusable bottles, but 66% cannot name a single local refill station. This disconnect between abundant supply and patchy access reveals why water stewardship is emerging as sustainability’s next battleground.
Unlike carbon-reduction initiatives, which are largely invisible to the public, water infrastructure creates immediate and tangible community value. England faces a projected daily water shortfall of 5 billion litres by 2055, yet 19% of the current supply leaks away before reaching consumers, according to the Environment Agency.
Michael McAuley, marketing director at Culligan UK, observes a generational shift driving infrastructure requirements. “Young people have different water bottles for different occasions,” he explains. “The sustainable-hydration movement is starting. Consumers are moving, but the infrastructure isn’t keeping pace.”
Culligan’s research suggests that more than nine in 10 gen-Z and millennial consumers own reusable bottles, compared with 75% of baby boomers. Yet infrastructure hasn’t caught up, creating what McAuley calls “bricks in backpacks”: expensive bottles rendered useless by access gaps. With gen Z set to comprise 30% of the workforce by the end of the decade, the infrastructure deficit threatens to become a significant issue in talent retention.
“The micro can change the macro,” says David Palmer, water group director at Buro Happold, which has worked on some of the UK’s most significant water infrastructure projects, including the Twin Rivers Diversion at Heathrow Airport’s terminal five. “Behaviours are changing, as they often do with the younger generation. We saw the same cultural shift with health and safety in the 90s – it was an afterthought for many but by the end of the decade attitudes had changed completely and now we’re seeing water stewardship following a similar trajectory.”
Tomorrow’s leaders embrace one-water thinking
Forward-thinking organisations are positioning water stewardship as both a means of climate adaptation and a source of competitive differentiation. This approach mirrors what Rodrigo Fernandes, director of sustainability at Bentley Systems, refers to as one-water thinking: managing all water sources as an integrated resource rather than separate systems – because every drop counts, every use matters and every return is a resource.
Fernandes champions integrated water management across complete life cycles. “Climate change equals water change,” he explains. His global perspective reveals infrastructure innovation already underway. With support from advanced digital technologies, Tanzania can now serve 2 million people using groundwater located through repurposed oil exploration, while Egypt delivered the world’s largest wastewater treatment plant for agricultural irrigation.
This movement towards ‘systems thinking’ extends to corporate strategy. Mat Roberts, climate resilience lead at SLR Consulting, notes that water footprinting is increasingly mirroring carbon accounting, with scope-one, two and three frameworks. “We’ve started looking at water stewardship in terms of direct costs, but that’s not the full value,” he says. “When you include environmental and societal impacts, you can make more informed investment decisions.”
Technology accelerates this evolution. Smart-water platforms and digital twins enable real-time monitoring and leak detection, and support the planning of sophisticated infrastructure.
Building resilient infrastructure now
Research from Culligan indicates that 30% of young people in the UK purchase items in cafes solely to request water refills, while 20% admit to using the toilet sinks for this purpose. Moreover, 7.7 billion plastic bottles are purchased across the UK annually, with 16 million ending up in landfills, rivers and oceans every day.
Yet corporate water stewardship is different to carbon reduction, as impacts depend heavily on local scarcity and ecosystem conditions. Roberts observes that traditional accounting methods undervalue water by excluding indirect costs, including societal health impacts and ecosystem services.
Where UK organisations have acted decisively, results prove compelling. Network Rail’s partnership with Culligan has eliminated more than 3 million plastic bottles through station refill points. Elsewhere, Thames Water has installed more than 100 fountains in London, which have dispensed 2.8 million litres while preventing an estimated 5.6 million bottle purchases.
However, international comparisons hint at the UK’s potential. Although research comparing jurisdictions is lacking, McAuley suggests that Australia may currently have a lead over the UK in refill-culture development, thanks to climate factors and public health advocacy. Elsewhere, Paris operates more than 1,000 publicly owned refill stations, including options for sparkling water, and Scotland’s ‘Find My Tap’ website demonstrates effective public-sector coordination.
Practical implementation requires treating water as strategic infrastructure rather than an operational overhead. McAuley advocates moving water provision “from seamless utility to conscious choice” by integrating access throughout workplace and public environments. He adds that hydrated employees demonstrate better concentration and productivity, while visible sustainability infrastructure supports talent retention among younger generations who expect environmental leadership. Water provision also advances ESG objectives and supports B Corp certification processes.
Fernandes emphasises efficiency before expansion, highlighting crucial trade-offs in water management. “I don’t like starting conversations around the need for new desalination plants without understanding and mitigating the inefficiencies and water losses we already have,” he says, noting how avoiding plastics has, in some cases, inadvertently increased PFAS (per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances) contamination through paper alternatives.
Technology partnerships are essential for scaling solutions. Water-efficiency labelling on appliances will mirror energy ratings, says Roberts, who adds that smart metering drives behavioural change. For instance, studies show an almost 50-litre per person daily difference between metered and unmetered usage. Additionally, Palmer emphasises retrofit opportunities, including integrating sustainable, urban drainage systems with green infrastructure provides multiple benefits beyond water management.
Practical steps for leaders
For immediate action, leaders should conduct water-risk assessments, including climate projections, and evaluate retrofit possibilities. Start with efficiency: audit current water usage, identify leakage points and implement smart-monitoring systems to optimise water usage.
Engaging younger employees in water-stewardship initiatives is also recommended, as their enthusiasm will drive organisation-wide cultural change while supporting retention strategies.
Progressive organisations treat water access as a visible demonstration of sustainability leadership, showcasing environmental commitment to customers, employees and communities.
McAuley’s vision extends beyond individual organisations. “Water should be part of the ecosystem where people stay, work and spend leisure time,” he says.
Water stewardship offers sustainability’s most visible win for business leaders. While carbon reduction remains abstract, water stewardship creates immediate community value while building climate resilience.
For organisations still finding themselves in deep water over their sustainability strategy, the solution is refreshingly clear: those who act decisively will keep their heads above water while competitors sink under the weight of yesterday’s thinking.
To find out more about sustainable water stewardship, visit Culligan.
The UK finds itself in deep water when it comes to sustainable hydration. While the nation enjoys some of the world's safest tap water, new Culligan UK research reveals a striking paradox: 85% of Britons own reusable bottles, but 66% cannot name a single local refill station. This disconnect between abundant supply and patchy access reveals why water stewardship is emerging as sustainability's next battleground.
Unlike carbon-reduction initiatives, which are largely invisible to the public, water infrastructure creates immediate and tangible community value. England faces a projected daily water shortfall of 5 billion litres by 2055, yet 19% of the current supply leaks away before reaching consumers, according to the Environment Agency.
Michael McAuley, marketing director at Culligan UK, observes a generational shift driving infrastructure requirements. "Young people have different water bottles for different occasions," he explains. "The sustainable-hydration movement is starting. Consumers are moving, but the infrastructure isn't keeping pace."
