What is a business water audit and why might you need one?

What is a business water audit?

Basically, a business water audit is a detailed investigation into how your business uses and pays for water. It covers your supply charges, wastewater costs, drainage fees, meter accuracy, and even potential leaks that may be creating hidden costs on your bills. The audit compares your current and historical usage against what you’re being billed, helping you to spot anything that doesn’t match the facts.

If your business is being charged based on estimates rather than actual readings, or if you’ve changed how your site operates – for example, by adding or removing machinery, extending the premises, or reducing headcount – then it’s possible that your bills might not reflect your actual needs. An audit helps confirm that you’re not being charged for capacity you don’t use. It also checks whether you are wrongly paying a commercial rate for non-potable or unmetered supplies.

What’s more, it can also uncover whether your property is on the correct wastewater return-to-sewer allowance. This figure affects how much you’re charged for removing water from your site. If it’s wrong, you could be overpaying every month. The audit gives you a clear picture of what’s happening on your site, where the money is going, and what you can do to improve the situation.

How does a water audit work?

The process begins with a full document review. You’ll need to provide copies of your water and wastewater bills – ideally going back at least two years – along with your site details, meter numbers, and any past correspondence with suppliers. The auditor (such as our team here at the Business Water Shop) then reviews your billing history to check for inconsistencies, such as sudden jumps in usage, standing charges that don’t match your meter size, or duplicated services across different suppliers.

The next step may involve a physical site visit. Here, a trained engineer inspects all water infrastructure, from incoming mains and internal pipework to toilets, taps, urinals, chillers, and irrigation systems. If you’ve got multiple meters across departments or units, these are checked individually to confirm that they’re recording correctly and that none have been misallocated. The engineer also checks for slow leaks – especially underground ones. This is a fairly crucial step, as they’re often invisible, and can cost you significant amounts of money over time.

The findings are then pulled into a report that includes a forensic breakdown of your current and historical charges – highlighting any errors, overcharges, or opportunities for cost recovery. You’ll also see practical recommendations to improve efficiency, such as installing push taps, reducing flow rates, or adjusting your sewerage allowance. Some providers will handle refund claims and billing disputes for you, working directly with water retailers and wholesalers.

You may also receive guidance on how to benchmark your usage against similar businesses, which can go a long way to helping you understand whether your consumption is typical for your sector, or whether it’s above the levels you might reasonably expect.

When your business might need a water audit

One of the most obvious reasons why you might want to consider a business water audit is if you think that your bills have increased without clear reason. It also may well be a good idea if your property has recently changed layout, or any facilities are now being used for different purposes than they were previously.

And it’s also worth saying that a water audit may be worth considering for another good reason – namely. if you’ve never had one before. Even if your operations haven’t changed much, billing systems and tariffs can shift without notice, and older records can contain long-standing errors.

Don’t forget that if you’ve recently moved into a new building, there’s no guarantee the previous occupier was on the right tariff. Essentially, your meter setup might not reflect the way you actually use water now; you might be using significantly less water than you’re being charged for, especially if you’ve invested in efficiency upgrades that haven’t been reported to your supplier.

A water audit is also worth considering if you’ve been on the same supplier contract for years. The deregulation of the industry made the market particularly competitive – but your current supplier has little incentive to check whether you’re on the right rate. An audit helps you work out whether you’re getting value for money and gives you the leverage to renegotiate or switch.

There’s a real financial incentive here: businesses that audit their water accounts can sometimes reclaim as much as thousands of pounds in historical overpayments. As well as recovering lost funds, it’s a way to identify long-term savings that come from practical fixes like resolving a slow leak or correcting your tariff. If you’re trying to cut costs without cutting corners, this is a smart place to start.

And of course, if you’re looking for help on your business water audit, you’re in exactly the right place. It’s one of our key services here at The Business Water Shop. Plus, if you eventually decide to switch business water suppliers, that’s exactly where we can help too.

With a network of trusted suppliers at our disposal that spans across the UK, we’re perfectly positioned to get you the most competitive water quotes for your business. In fact, we’re able to save some customers up to 55% on their water bills, and you can count on us to use all our resources and industry expertise to get you the best deal.