Ageing infrastructure and cyber threats are emerging as major obstacles to protecting UK businesses from water-related disruption, according to research published by Schneider Electric.
The findings are set out in The Water Crunch Report, published on 13 October following research carried out in June 2026 across the UK and Europe. The UK sample comprised 30 industrial business leaders and 20 water system decision-makers, which Schneider Electric described as “a small but highly targeted sample”.
Infrastructure and cyber risks
One-third of UK business leaders surveyed said they expected water quality or availability to become a serious barrier to operations or growth within five years. Some 57% identified ageing infrastructure as the main barrier to protecting business operations from water-related disruption, compared with 36% of business leaders across Europe.
Cybersecurity was also a prominent concern. Six in 10 UK business leaders ranked cyber threats among their three biggest business continuity risks, while 75% of the water system decision-makers surveyed identified external cyber-attacks on connected water infrastructure as a major threat to resilience.
Schneider Electric said the findings highlighted the need to treat water resilience as both an infrastructure and cybersecurity priority as systems become more connected. The research was published after one of the UK’s most severe droughts in decades and amid rising cyber threats to critical national infrastructure, according to the company.
Smart systems widely deployed
The survey indicated that businesses were already adopting digital systems to reduce operating costs, protect continuity and improve sustainability. Schneider Electric said 70% of business leaders surveyed had implemented smart meters and real-time consumption monitoring, while 73% had automated controls for pumps, valves or treatment systems.
A further 63% had integrated water management platforms such as supervisory control and data acquisition systems. However, digital twins and network modelling remained less common among water system decision-makers, with 25% reporting that they had deployed the technology.
Schneider Electric said these tools could help identify vulnerabilities earlier. Meanwhile, 40% of UK water system decision-makers said clearer regulatory standards would have the greatest impact on their ability to protect operations from water disruption.
Alex Richards, Schneider Electric’s vice president for industrial process and automation, said: “Water resilience depends on more than recognising the risk. It requires investment in infrastructure, better visibility of water networks and strong cybersecurity as those networks become more connected.”
Sophie Borgne, president of Schneider Electric’s water and environment segment, said drought and its effects on industry should not be treated as a one-off event. She added that water reuse could reduce reliance on rivers and reservoirs, but that less than 1% of treated urban wastewater is reused across the UK.