Why Commercial Buildings Are Still Underestimating Water Risk

As World Water Day approaches on 22 March, global conversations often focus on scarcity and climate resilience. But closer to home, water waste and poor infrastructure management remain everyday challenges across the UK’s commercial building stock.

Richard Braid, Managing Director at Cistermiser, shares his perspective on why water efficiency is still not being treated with the same focus as energy and what needs to change.

Q: World Water Day tends to focus on global water scarcity. Why should UK commercial buildings be paying attention?

Water scarcity can feel like a distant issue in the UK, but that perception is misleading. The Environment Agency has already warned that parts of England could face serious supply pressures within the next decade. At the same time, commercial buildings are under increasing scrutiny to demonstrate measurable reductions in resource use.

For estates teams, the issue extends beyond sustainability messaging to operational resilience, compliance and cost control. Water is often treated as a background utility being always available, relatively inexpensive and low risk. But rising tariffs, tighter environmental reporting and greater public accountability are changing that. World Water Day is a timely reminder to review what’s actually happening inside our buildings.

Q: Has water efficiency genuinely moved up the commercial agenda in recent years?

There’s certainly more awareness and most organisations now have sustainability targets and ESG frameworks that reference water reduction. The challenge is that ambition doesn’t automatically translate into infrastructure change.

In many cases, buildings are still operating with legacy controls and outdated systems that were installed decades ago. Water management is often reactive by responding to leaks, hygiene issues or billing surprises, rather than proactive and performance-led.

Energy has benefited from years of metering, visibility and behavioural focus but water hasn’t yet had the same level of attention, which means inefficiencies can sit quietly in the background for years.

Q: Where are commercial buildings still getting it wrong?

One of the biggest issues is visibility, because without clear insight into where water is being used, effective management becomes almost impossible. Many sites lack meaningful monitoring or rely on infrastructure that operates regardless of occupancy or demand. Systems that discharge on a fixed schedule, rather than responding to actual usage, continue to waste significant volumes across offices, schools, transport hubs and healthcare estates.

Another common problem is fragmentation, a tap might be upgraded here, a valve replaced there, but without a coherent strategy. Water efficiency works best when it’s considered holistically from point-of-use control through to stored water management and compliance.

Q: How does compliance intersect with water efficiency today?
Compliance and efficiency are increasingly linked. Hygiene standards, backflow protection requirements and the management of stored water systems all require careful oversight. Poor control doesn’t just waste water, it can create operational and regulatory risk.

Public sector estates in particular are under pressure to demonstrate responsible resource management. Schools, hospitals and civic buildings must balance hygiene, safety and budget constraints. That means infrastructure needs to support both compliance and efficiency, not compromise one for the other.

The key principle is control and when systems operate in line with demand and are correctly specified, they support both hygiene objectives and resource reduction.

Q: What practical steps should facilities managers be taking in 2026?
The first step is auditing existing infrastructure and understanding what’s installed, how it operates and whether it aligns with current occupancy patterns. Buildings have changed significantly over the past few years, particularly with hybrid working and fluctuating footfall but infrastructure hasn’t always kept pace.

Often the quickest gains come from addressing the everyday issues that go unnoticed. Something as simple as a leaking toilet can waste significant volumes of drinking-quality water each day, yet these faults can remain hidden for long periods. Across a large estate, small inefficiencies like this quickly add up, making routine checks and maintenance an important first step in reducing waste.

Secondly, move from timed or assumption-based control to demand-led operation wherever possible. Water should always respond to usage, not the clock.

Finally, shift the conversation from upfront cost to lifecycle performance. The most effective upgrades often pay back quickly through reduced consumption and lower maintenance demands. More importantly, they embed long-term efficiency rather than short-term savings.

Q: What should World Water Day mean for the commercial sector?
The real opportunity is to move from awareness to accountability. Most organisations acknowledge the importance of conserving water, yet infrastructure does not always reflect that commitment. If systems run inefficiently or without meaningful control, policy and practice remain misaligned.

World Water Day is a useful reminder that sustainability is not achieved through statements alone. It is realised through specification, installation and ongoing management. When commercial buildings treat water with the same seriousness as energy - measured, controlled and optimised, then meaningful reductions will follow.

For more information on Cistermiser and Keraflo visit www.cistermiser.co.uk

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