How can we use the power of data to unlock better water management?

The spring of 2025 was the driest in England for over 100 years*, and with four heatwaves, the Met Office declared the UK’s summer of 2025 as the joint hottest since records began (tied with 2018).**

With winter weather and rainfall easing immediate pressures, the conversation is now shifting from short term recovery to long term resilience. For businesses, this means water efficiency is quickly becoming an essential strategic priority.

Why does water efficiency matter for businesses?

Droughts impact organisations through disrupted supply chains, reduced outputs and increased operational costs. They also put sustainability and net zero targets at risk.

Because of this, businesses that fail to manage their water use effectively face higher risks and missed opportunities. Improving water efficiency helps you save water and save money, while protecting business continuity and supporting your sustainability commitments.

How businesses can effectively monitor their water use

AMR/data loggers

Data loggers (also known as Automated Meter Readers or AMR) are devices that help you monitor your water use by recording your usage data every 15 minutes. This data is sent straight through to our online portal which gives you access to detailed usage information. This can help you to spot any consumption trends, unusual patterns in water use, or identify waste, allowing you to take action quickly.

Read our LinkedIn article about real-time water monitoring systems.

Intelligent Water Management

While data loggers/AMR provide the data, our bespoke Intelligent Water Management (IWM) reporting makes it easy to understand and take action. IWM combines smart data analysis with expert advice to help you use water more efficiently and reduce waste.

Key features of IWM:

• Track usage changes to spot unexpected increases or reductions in water use
• Check meter sizing to avoid overcharges, and
• Benchmark consumption at sites to compare performance and share best practice.

These features are part of our broader water management solutions, designed to give you greater control and visibility of your water use.

Find out how IWM can help you save in our recent post.

The future of water efficiency data

Water wholesalers are rolling out Smart meters for businesses across the UK between 2025 and 2035. Smart meters will transform the way we manage our water use, allowing businesses to monitor usage, detect leaks and make informed decisions on how they manage their water. It will also help us reduce waste and improve efficiency across all sectors.

By providing real-time insights into water usage, smart meters will enable businesses to:

• Monitor consumption patterns and identify inefficiencies
• Detect leaks early, preventing unnecessary waste and costly damage

Empower informed decisions, turning data into actionable insights that can help realise savings, and

• Improve visibility and control, helping them move from reactive fixes to proactive water management.

Read our full LinkedIn article about smart meters.

Although smart meters will make water usage data more widely available across the UK over the next few years, data loggers will continue to be useful, particularly for organisations with multiple sites across different wholesale regions where the pace of rollout will be a factor. Data loggers will help maintain a consistent level of detail and continuity in data where the smart meter capability varies.

Leading the way in water management

Hull City Council recently renewed their partnership with Business Stream to manage water and waste water services across 322 sites. As part of the agreement, the council is installing Automatic Meter Reading (AMR)/Data loggers to gain real-time visibility of water use, detect leaks early and improve efficiency. This proactive approach is expected to deliver significant annual savings and ensure accurate billing, showing how data-driven solutions can help organisations achieve both financial and sustainability goals.

Want to manage your water better?

Using data to guide your water management strategy helps reduce costs, improve efficiency and strengthen your sustainability credentials, supporting your journey toward net zero.

Get in touch with our sustainable solutions team and start saving today.

SOURCES

*Double record breaker: Spring 2025 is warmest and sunniest on UK record - Met Office

** Summer 2025 is the warmest on record for the UK  - Met Office