Water Plus gains Net Zero standard for science-based target, as it increases public sector partnerships

The UK’s largest water retailer Water Plus, which works with big and small public sector sites, has gained a Net Zero standard, confirming its reduction pathway not only meets, but beats the science-based target trajectory for 1.5C that many aspire to.

It’s the first water retailer to have a Net Zero target aligned to science-based targets, as it leads the sector on large-scale water savings at sites and helping multi-sites, including customers in the public sector, make more progress on their sustainability goals.

It received the Net Zero Standard through working with Carbon Footprint Ltd, with a  Net Zero target for 2040, taking account of water wholesaler targets for Net Zero by 2030 in England and 2040 in Scotland, part of the supply chain for all water retailers, under Scope 3.

It comes as Water Plus highlights further information to help public sector sites, including actions for winter months and a free to access on-demand webinar, sharing insights on ways to cut running costs and carbon emissions in 2026.

Jason Scagell, Chief Executive of Water Plus, said: “More public sector organisations and businesses are seeing the benefits of looking towards their approach to water to cut carbon emissions, alongside reducing wholesaler costs and energy use, and our team’s support on this is an essential part of what we’re doing to reduce environmental impacts and tackle the climate change challenge.

“Since 2022 we’ve been taking additional actions, each year, to help customers, communities and our supply chain reduce carbon emissions, while also improving the data we can track and is linked to our business, under Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3. As a responsible business we know carbon reductions help all people on earth, as well as the planet and nature and our ambition is to achieve Net Zero ahead of the science-based target aligned target year.

“This Net Zero standard is just the latest progress point, as we drive forward – and encourage faster decarbonisation in England and Scotland, sharing our knowledge and leading by example, in a credible way, following best practice.”

“There are more environment and sustainability actions ahead for 2026, to deliver further positive results for the planet, as our team joins innovation hubs and workstreams at organisations, alongside sharing insight to help reduce UK water scarcity risks,” Mr Scagell added.

Large-scale water-saving projects and proactive water management programmes, for customers, include:

• Proactive water partnership with one of the UK’s biggest universities underway, with seven data loggers installed to track and analyse use, to drive further efficiency and decarbonisation progress.

• 42.5% water saving, on average daily use, delivered in 2025 for a site, for an organisation that also has goals aligned to science-based targets, through analysis and installing efficiency devices. The project included 17 water audits and four locations seeing additional efficiency devices, alongside action to strengthen operational resilience.

• A public sector site saw a 480 litres an hour water saving – avoiding a potential additional wholesaler cost of £14,700, if the water use continued for 12 months. A stop tap was also fitted, which helps improve control and future maintenance capability at the site.*

• 750 other sites, including council buildings, GP practices, schools, a fire station, a university campus and student accommodation helped to save water, in 2025, after Water Plus engaged them in a joint project with a water wholesaler which also saw 3,200 customers saving water and cutting costs, between July 2024 and March 2025.

• £4.1 million saved, in estimated wholesaler charges, from finding and fixing site leaks, in 2025.* It’s included identifying and stopping leaks at multi-site customer locations.

• 670+ saving devices installed and 97 sites, including public sector customers, had visits for leak find and fix in 2025.

Water Plus is also a Finalist for a 2026 UK Customer Satisfaction Award, after winning a 2025 UK Customer Satisfaction Award, for Sustainable Customer Service, from best practice leaders the Institute of Customer Service.

The award recognised the Water Plus team’s customer engagement approach, Be Wise on Water awareness campaigning and delivering a range of water efficiency projects and results.

Water Plus has also supported projects that prevent carbon emissions, including peatland restoration in Scotland and seagrass restoration around the UK.

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More on the projects Water Plus supports, to help decarbonisation and communities at: water-plus.co.uk/about-us/corporate-social-responsibility-sustainability/

Additional information:

* Underground pipe leak repair arranged through Water Plus and completed December 2025.

Net Zero and carbon data:

Net Zero target includes a revised baseline year of 24/25, after completing an assessment of carbon emissions for Scope 1 and 2 emissions and elements of Scope 3 with Carbon Footprint, in 2025.

A Supply Chain Review, for Water Plus, was also completed by September 2025, to gather the additional carbon emissions data needed to set a science-based aligned reduction strategy and target. The Carbon Footprint Net Zero Standard means Water Plus also has a robust framework for its carbon reductions, which is aligned to international best practice and standards, including science-based targets.

Savings figures:

*£4.1 million is the saving on estimated wholesaler costs if the leaks, that have been located and stopped through repair or isolation, continued for 12 months. Based on water volume of 1,244,421.76m3.

42.5% water-saving, on average daily use, at a site, tracked by a data logger in 2025, following a 17-site water audit and water-saving kit installed. 

The projects supported is part of additional actions Water Plus is taking, which is also called Beyond Value Chain Mitigation, to help decarbonisation and the environment.