Ketan Hindocha, South West Water’s Chief Customer Officer, explains how practical support for businesses is reducing water use, and why those efforts must continue whatever the weather.

For businesses across the South West, water is essential to serving customers, supporting jobs and keeping daily operations running. Asking them to use less, particularly after heavy rain and stormy weather, needs a clear explanation and practical support.

This year has shown how quickly the weather can change, and how much longer its effects can last. Months of exceptionally dry conditions and the hottest summer on record have put our water resources under significant pressure. Recent rain is welcome, but it has not undone that damage.

The Environment Agency has said England needs at least 120% of average rainfall over the next six months to be considered out of drought by the start of spring. That means a sustained period of wetter than average weather, rather than a few heavy downpours.

With parts of our region in Severe Drought, reducing demand now remains essential. Every litre saved helps preserve supplies while our rivers and reservoirs recover.

Practical support that delivers savings
We recognise that businesses have different needs and all use water differently, and that the opportunities to save it will vary. Our role is to help identify changes that work without compromising health, hygiene or essential operations.

To help do that, we have completed 793 Business Water Efficiency visits across the region since the start of the year, with a targeted approach to businesses in areas most affected by drought since the summer.

The results show what practical support can achieve. More than 5,500 water-saving devices have been fitted, saving around 275,000 litres of water every day. Over 1,370 internal plumbing leaks have also been repaired, with estimated savings exceeding 100,000 litres of water a day.

On average, each visit is saving around 480 litres daily. These are improvements that keep delivering, helping businesses reduce unnecessary consumption long after the visit ends and at all times of the year, not just during dry periods.

Working with our largest water users
We are now finalising targeted engagement with around 85 of the largest business water users in drought-affected areas. Working alongside their water retailers, who are the companies that bill and support business customers, we intend to help them identify opportunities to reduce demand, supported by targeted audits where appropriate.

This activity is being developed, and we are looking to begin as soon as possible. For businesses using significant volumes, even a modest improvement in efficiency could make a substantial difference. We have already shared water-saving messages with retailers and are reinforcing those conversations to encourage practical changes.

We are also promoting our Water Efficiency Innovation Fund, which supports business projects delivering sustainable, measurable water savings and value for money.

Opportunities could include collecting rainwater, improving washing processes or safely treating water for reuse on site.

Our responsibility alongside yours
We cannot ask businesses and households to reduce waste without tackling it ourselves.

Reducing leakage remains a priority. We have strengthened our leakage teams and focused resources on areas under the greatest pressure. Alongside repairs, we are moving water around our network, adapting operations and pursuing additional resources where approvals allow.

Investment in storage, treatment and connections between supply areas is also strengthening resilience. These measures and customers’ efforts must work together to protect supplies.

For businesses, the immediate request is to review consumption, check for leaks, examine cleaning routines and equipment, and involve colleagues in finding avoidable waste. Please speak to your retailer about support and explore whether our funding could help you make lasting improvements.

Households have a vital role too. Shorter showers, using washing machines and dishwashers on full loads and repairing leaking toilets and taps all help reduce demand.

A lasting change in how we value water
Water is a precious resource and climate change is already affecting how we manage it. This year’s prolonged hot and dry weather, followed by stormy conditions, underline why water efficiency needs to become part of everyday life.

Every litre comes from the natural environment. Using it carefully helps protect the rivers, habitats and resources on which our communities and economy depend.

We are grateful to the businesses and households already making changes, and while recent rainfall is having a positive impact on our resources, the pressure remains serious, and we need more action now.

Please make saving water part of your daily routine and your business planning. The improvements we make today can help protect supplies through this drought and leave us better prepared for the next period of dry weather.