England Businesses Consume 2.6 Billion Litres of Water Daily

Businesses in England consume 2.6 billion litres of public water daily, representing roughly 30% of the total public supply. This consumption occurs while three-quarters of the country faces drought conditions. Data from Mosl, the organization operating the business water market, identifies the ExxonMobil Esso refinery at Fawley as the largest user of the public water supply.

ExxonMobil has disputed these figures, asserting that the majority of its water is sourced from the Solent strait for cooling purposes. Regulators, including Ofwat and the Environment Agency, report that a lack of mandatory reporting and the use of commercial secrecy hinder national water planning and the ability to track industrial consumption.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is responding to the crisis by planning nine new reservoirs and investing in infrastructure. While the government aims for a 9% reduction in business water use by 2038, the trade body Water UK argues these forecasts are unrealistic. The organization cites the rapid growth of hydrogen production and data centres as factors that will likely increase demand.