National water retailer Wave has supported UK businesses to save 10.4 billion litres of water in the last five years, which is the equivalent of approximately 4,160 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
Wave’s target was 9.6 billion litres, which it’s surpassed by almost 1 billion litres. This comes as efficiencies to support water saving are more important than ever, as pressure on UK water resources continues to grow, with an estimated 5 billion litres extra to be needed per day by 2055.
Through its annual Social and Sustainability Report for 2025-26, Wave is highlighting its increased focus on driving efficiencies and how it’s helping even more businesses to achieve more responsible water use at a crucial time.
During the year, more businesses were able to benefit from High Consumption Alerts, helping them to detect and act on issues such as un-noticed leaks that are a huge contributor to water wastage as quickly as possible.
Another example of Wave’s commitment to saving water is the continued success of its Big Blue Eco Booster Project. The partnership initiative helps schools identify hidden leaks, improve water efficiency and reduce unnecessary water consumption. So far 169 schools have been supported with big plans to expand.
Wave also continued to strengthen its water efficiency offering through the acquisition of Infersens and its Cortense® technology, giving customers smarter tools to monitor Legionella risk management, improving compliance and reducing unnecessary water use.
Operational efficiencies saw over 70,000 customers switch to paperless billing, reducing paper consumption while making account management simpler and more accessible.
Wave’s Social and Sustainability Promise extends beyond its customer services. Employees contributed around 2,300 volunteering hours to local communities, completed over 7,600 social value challenges and continued forestry activities at Wave Woodland near to its Durham office to enhance biodiversity.
Lucy Darch, CEO of Wave, said: “The knowledge Wave has gained this year has caused us to re-examine our vision and really focus on making responsible water use central to the company’s future direction.
“Efficiency isn’t something we see as another business objective – it’s fundamental to the way we think. As demand for water continues to grow, we’re focused on helping customers make better use of the resources available while supporting the long-term resilience of the water sector.
“Our Social and Sustainability Promise reflects that commitment. Whether we’re launching new services, investing in innovative technology or working alongside partners to tackle shared challenges, we’re always looking for practical ways to create lasting value for our customers, our communities and the environment.”
During 2025, Wave was also recognised as Water Retailer of the Year for the third time at the Water Industry Awards, celebrating its continued commitment to delivering outstanding service and helping customers use water more efficiently.
Most recently, Wave launched Water Efficiency Services (WES), a new neutral sub-brand created to accelerate progress towards the UK’s long-term water efficiency goals. The launch of WES sees Wave now delivering practical water-saving programmes across the whole water sector.
Nigel Corfield, Industrial and Commercial Customer Director at Wave, said “Water efficiency is no longer a nice-to-have – it’s an essential part of building resilient organisations and protecting our future water resources.
“At Wave, we’re committed to helping businesses take practical steps to better understand and manage their water use. By combining innovative technology, expert insight, and strong collaboration across the water sector, we can help customers reduce waste, improve efficiency, and make informed decisions that deliver lasting benefits.
“Working together with wholesalers, partners and customers is how we’ll continue to drive meaningful change and ensure water remains a sustainable resource for generations to come.”
For more information on Wave, visit www.wave-utilities.co.uk.