Scotland’s public sector has saved over £4 million in water costs in past financial year - the record savings have been delivered through a long-standing national framework partnership with one of the UK’s leading water retailers.
Edinburgh-based water retailer, Business Stream, has confirmed the £4.4million savings milestone as part of its ongoing delivery under the Scottish Government’s Water and Waste Water Services Framework, a contract worth in excess of £240 million.
Major public sector organisations covered under the contract include the NHS, Police Scotland and local authorities across the country.
The latest total represents a significant increase on the previous year’s savings of £3milion and reflects growing engagement from public sector organisations alongside the rollout of advanced technology and enhanced data visibility tools.
Jo Dow, Chief Executive of Business Stream, said:
“Public sector organisations are continuing to face increasing financial pressures while also working towards ambitious environmental targets.
“By combining smarter technology with close customer collaboration, we’re helping organisations gain greater visibility over water usage, identify opportunities to reduce waste and deliver meaningful long-term savings.
“The scale of the savings achieved this year highlights the value of taking a proactive and data-led approach to water efficiency across large and complex estates.”
A major driver behind the increased savings has been the continued rollout of automated meter reading (AMR) technology, which allows customers to access near real-time water consumption data and quickly identify unusual usage patterns.
The improved monitoring capabilities have supported faster leak detection, reduced unnecessary consumption and helped organisations better manage water use across healthcare facilities, schools, public buildings and community assets.
Business Stream has also expanded the use of enhanced Power BI reporting tools, providing customers with improved visibility over site performance, usage trends and potential efficiency opportunities.
In the past year, Business Stream has also delivered it’s annual £100,000 water efficiency fund, supporting the delivery of a range of water saving projects for public sector organisations across Scotland.
Ray Moulds, Sales Director at Flood Control International, takes a look at how automated sliding floodgates are supporting secondary containment at water and sewerage company sites.
With the UK government demanding a 50% reduction in storm overflow spills by 2029, the era of reactive management is over. Speaking in the House of Commons on 21 July 2025, then environment secretary Steve Reed said, “This Government will cut water companies’ sewage pollution in half by the end of the decade.”
ERG, the leading supplier of odour control systems and industrial gas cleaning & thermal systems, has been awarded the coveted King’s Award for Enterprise.
Welsh Water’s new artificial intelligence-driven tool, ORAI, has been shortlisted for three categories at the prestigious British Data Awards 2026 – underscoring the company’s commitment to using cutting-edge technology to deliver better outcome for customers.
Hear how Scottish Water has completed its £235 million Ayrshire Glasgow Resilience Project - customers across Greater Glasgow, Ayrshire and East Renfrewshire will now benefit from a more secure and resilient water supply.
Hear how United Utilities is accelerating its investment to reduce spills from storm overflows across the Northwest.
Find out more about the remarkable career opportunities on offer at WSP - scroll down to watch the inspirational video.