Business Interrupted: Understanding the Real Cost of Supply Interruptions

In today’s unpredictable climate, a consistent water supply is no longer a guarantee. Businesses across the UK are already feeling the pressure as water supply interruptions become more frequent and more damaging. From extreme weather to aging infrastructure, the risks are increasing—and so is the cost of doing nothing.

A Growing Threat to Business Continuity

Ensuring a reliable water supply is crucial for businesses across the UK. Recent data underscores the importance of having a contingency plan in place

• Increased Water Supply Interruptions: In the 2023-2024 period, UK water companies reported a total outage of 528 million litres per day, marking an over 8% increase from the previous year.
• Climate Change Impact: The UK is experiencing more frequent and severe weather events, including heavy rainfall and flooding as well as droughts, which can disrupt water supply systems and affect business operations.
• Water Stress: 7 out of 17 regions in England are projected to experience severe water stress by 2030, with this number rising to 12 by 2040.

Despite this, a YouGov survey found that just 21% of businesses have a contingency water plan in place.

The True Cost of Water Disruption

Water outages don’t just inconvenience businesses – they cost them, and heavily. Depending on your sector, an interruption can set you back anywhere from £2,000 to £50,000 per hour in operational downtime, and sometimes even more.

Here’s what’s at stake:

• Manufacturing businesses: Potential losses of £100,000–£200,000 per day from downtime.
• Data Centres: £6,000–£9,000 potentially lost per minute due to failed cooling systems.
• Construction sites: £20,000–£50,000 per day in possible productivity losses.

That’s before you factor in:

• Cost of repair: There are emergency costs to fix the issue, including: hiring emergency crews or third-party services, transporting and delivering water supplies to maintain operations, infrastructure repairs if the supply was disrupted by pipe bursts or other technical failures.
• Regulatory Penalties and Health & Safety Concerns: Many businesses can face fines or penalties for failing to meet their water supply obligations, which can cost anywhere from a few hundred pounds to thousands in penalties, depending on industry regulations. This could include breaching service level agreements (SLAs) or violating health and safety regulations, which can result in additional financial burden on businesses.
• Reputation Damage: While harder to quantify, the loss of business reputation can result in a decline in customers and sales. The cost of losing a major client or damaging your reputation can be thousands to millions over time.

And with many businesses still unprepared, the risk is real and rising.

WaterTight – A Smarter Way to Safeguard Supply

Enter WaterTight —Water Direct’s assured emergency water response solution. Designed to help businesses plan proactively rather than reactively, WaterTight gives you the confidence that when the unexpected happens, your operations won’t grind to a halt.

With guaranteed emergency water delivery within 4*–24 hours, a fully customised contingency plan tailored to your specific needs, backed by a nationwide network and 24/7/365 access to support, WaterTight delivers resilience when and where you need it most.

Why Businesses Choose WaterTight

• Fast, reliable response to help ensure business continuity
• Tailored solutions that minimise financial losses and operational impact
• Nationwide coverage, so help is always available when you need it
• Expert advice to build resilience into your water supply and deliver peace of mind in a high-risk climate

It’s Time to Act, Not React

As water security becomes a defining issue for UK businesses, taking steps now could save you thousands—or even millions—in the future. WaterTight is not just a contingency plan; it’s your competitive advantage in a world where resilience matters more than ever.

Book a discovery call today with our water resilience expert, and learn how water can become embedded in your business continuity plans.

Alternatively, contact our friendly team to learn more:
Tel: 0375 345 1725
Email: enquiries@water-direct.co.uk

Sources: UKIWR 2002 report, Ponenom Institute, and IOW report, smartflowmonitoring.com, YouGov for WaterPlus, kingfisher.com, theguardian.com, www.gov.uk

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