Less Than 1% of Earth's Water Is Accessible | Here's Why That Matters for Your Business

Every year on March 22nd World Water Day shines a spotlight on the 2.2 billion people living without access to safe water. The focus this year is on the role water plays in sanitation and gender equality. While the UK recovers from the four named winter storms which contributed to flooding and an average 35% more rain in England than usual, water conservation may not be high on the list of priorities for businesses. This blog will suggest that it should be and will consider water security; how to avoid risks but seize opportunities and its relevance to gender equality.

Water Security

Planet Earth is often referred to as the “Blue Planet” given its abundance of water. However, 97% of that water is generally unusable salt water contained within our oceans and seas. Freshwater makes up the remaining 3%, but most of that is locked away in glaciers and ground water. According to The National Geographic less than 0.3% of that 3% of freshwater is available for use which is known as surface water found in lakes, rivers and swamps.

Water is obviously an essential resource for life on Earth. Human survival depends upon access to safe water for drinking and sanitation purposes as well as for crop irrigation. It is also used in multiple industrial processes. Unfortunately, we are not looking after this precious resource as well as we should. The Environment Agency in England concluded 69 prosecutions against water and sewerage companies in the last 11 years with Yorkshire Water being the most recent offender being fined £733,000 for 3 pollution incidents in under a year.

Last year, Leigh Day Solicitors launched, “The biggest legal claim ever brought in the UK over environmental pollution”. It is alleged that waste from poultry farming and sewage discharges by Welsh Water have resulted in "extensive and widespread pollution" affecting the Rivers Wye, Lugg and Usk.

Water security is also of great importance when considering the operation of datacentres. It is estimated that the UK already hosts 477 datacentres and is set to build about 100 more.  The Guardian has reported that the amount of water required for the hyperscale campus in Northumberland has been greatly underestimated. The initial plan for the first two data halls by the US operator QTS estimated annual water use to be 2.3 million litres, although the Guardian and Watershed Investigations believe it to be about 50 times higher at 124 million litres per year. When all ten planned data halls are in operation, this will leap to 621 million litres per year which equates to the average annual use of about 11,000 UK consumers.

Risks

Water risks vary depending on sector and business location. The WWF has highlighted 3 priority areas, all of which can have an economic impact:

• physical
• regulatory
• reputational

Whilst many in the UK have experienced a wetter winter than usual, it was preceded by six consecutive months of below average rainfall and record low river flows at the beginning of the summer in 2025. Too much and too little water present significant challenges to our farmers and has resulted in lower yields and concerns over animal welfare.   

Damage to infrastructure such as the recently reinforced seawall protecting the railway line in Dawlish caused travel disruption and urgent repairs to be undertaken. Flooding also caused delays for the construction industry. However, water shortages will pose major risks to water intensive manufacturing industries such as datacentres as outlined as well as, for example, the automotive industry that requires an estimated 39,000 gallons of water to produce one car; hydropower plants which are vulnerable to low water rates that impacts energy generation and the food and beverage sector -  an average pub or restaurant uses 4,000 litres of water every day.

Companies must of course ensure that they meet their regulatory requirements and comply with permits or licences to avoid potential prosecutions and civil claims which could cause reputational damage as outlined in the Yorkshire Water prosecution and Leigh Day class action.

However, to manage the risks posed by water insecurity, companies must not take access to water for granted and realise that risks exist which must be recognised and acted upon. Opportunities exist for forward thinking businesses.

Opportunities

In a recent survey most UK food and drink businesses agreed that a consistent water supply is vital to their operations However, only 39% had a contingency plan in place in case of disruption of supply and everyone questioned agreed that water infrastructure constraints were not clearly understood.

There are opportunities for organisations that realise the risk and build resilience.  Calculating a water footprint can focus attention and form part of their sustainability strategy. Potential opportunities could include:

• increased sales
• better legal compliance
• increased efficiency
• cost saving
• enhanced reputation
• increased customer base

Zurich Insurers have recommended a four-stage approach to adapt as follows:

1. Assess the risk by using a focused risk assessment to identify water-related threats and opportunities   
2. Measure monthly and annual water usage to understand usage patterns and target improvements
3. Reduce consumption by adopting best practice and scheduling regular inspections/ maintenance
4. Diversify by having contingency plans in place and not wholly rely on mains water

In addition to considering direct water usage businesses can become market leaders by collaborating with their value chain to influence wholesale change and perhaps fund a water sanitation and hygiene (WASH) project relevant to their industry. For example, Who Gives a Crap donates 50% of its profits from selling toilet paper and associated products to increase access to clean water and toilets.

World Water Day and Gender Equality

When building resilience, perhaps pause to consider those without access to WASH and this year’s World Water Day theme of gender equality meeting The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 5 and 6.

Women and girls are particularly vulnerable in areas that lack safely managed water. The task of fetching water which often includes long journeys on foot tends to fall upon women and girls making them more vulnerable to attack and precluding them from getting an education or earning an income. Women and girls have specific hygiene needs and often lack access to a safe, lockable toilet, which can cause embarrassment and put them at an increased risk of assault.

If this blog has got you thinking about where water fits into your organisation's sustainability approach, the ISEP Foundation Certificate in Environmental and Sustainability Management is a solid place to start. It covers the fundamentals of sustainable development, including water use, risk assessment and building a credible environmental strategy. Whether you're looking to strengthen your own knowledge or upskill your team, it's a practical first step. Find out more about the ISEP Foundation Certificate.