Drinking water in workplaces — a complete guide

Employers in the UK must provide drinking water. It’s a legal requirement under the Workplace Regulations 1992.

Regardless of the nature of the role – whether it’s a highly labour-intensive, physical role or a more sedentary, desk-based office role, employers need to provide unlimited fresh and clean water. And employees should feel free and even be encouraged to get a drink whenever they need it.

If you’re an office or facilities manager who takes care of refreshments and water supplies, we’re here to help you understand your responsibilities when it comes to health and hydration in the workplace.

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How much water should your team be drinking every day?

Two-thirds of our bodies are made up of water so it’s important that you and your office team stay well hydrated. Hydration is needed to support healthy digestion and support a healthy heart and circulation. It’s also important for metabolism, temperature control and for brain function. Staying hydrated can support your team in being more productive, and alert and can even help to support your team’s mental health and wellbeing.

With that said, water is, without doubt, the single most essential component of the human body. However, there are a few factors that determine exactly how much a person should drink each day to stay hydrated.

Firstly the level of activity and temperature should be taken into account. If you have a physical role for example and you’re working in the hot sun in high temperatures, you’re going to need more water to stay hydrated than say, someone working in an air-conditioned office.

Age, weight and gender can also play a role in how much water someone needs. However, overall the NHS guidelines are clear. We should be aiming to drink around 6 – 8 glasses of water a day.

If still water isn’t your bag, remember that sparkling water is an equally healthy and hydrating option. Know also that food contributes to your hydration. In fact, it’s thought that on average our food contributes about 20% of our daily fluid intake. If you’re not sure how much water you should be drinking, you can use this handy hydration calculator to help determine your specific needs.

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What types of water dispensers are available for workplaces?

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Your best option depends on your office size, layout and usage levels. Here’s a quick overview:

Type	Best for	Key benefits
Bottled water coolers	Small teams, low water usage, or temporary setups	Easy to install, no plumbing required, but bottles need regular replacement
Plumbed-in water coolers	Medium to large offices	Connects directly to your mains, provides filtered chilled water without bottle deliveries
Undercounter taps	High-traffic workplaces or offices that value design and sustainability	Provide still, sparkling, boiling, chilled and ambient water from one tap, ideal for modern offices
Countertop dispensers	Compact spaces	Space-saving, often feature built-in filtration

If you’re unsure what would work best, think about how your team uses your kitchen areas. High-traffic offices benefit from speed and convenience, whereas smaller teams might prioritise flexibility and cost.

Why does hydration matter for productivity and wellbeing?

One-touch Billi Taps for workplaces

If you’re running a busy office, you’ll no doubt want to have a happy, healthy and productive team to ensure you’re getting the best out of them. Ensuring proper hydration is vital for optimal mental and physical performance.

Just a 1% loss in body weight due to fluid loss can impair mental function and lead to fatigue and headaches. Staying hydrated positively impacts mood and overall mental well-being, influencing energy levels, cognition, and even your team’s emotions.

So what can you do to encourage your team to stay hydrated in the office? The best thing you can do is to install an under-counter water tap.

While tap water is generally considered safe to drink here in the UK, it can still contain various impurities. These include chemicals, minerals and even bacteria that can affect the taste and quality of water. Opting for a convenient and affordable undercounter water tap means you can get fresh filtered water that pours still, sparkling, hot, cold and ambient water with ease.

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It’ll save your team from bringing in bottled water in single-use plastic and encourage them to refill reusable bottles from the filtered tap. Having an undercounter tap can also be a great workplace perk that shows your team that you care about their health and well-being.

You can encourage your team to drink more water and even coffee, which counts towards hydration goals, by creating welcoming and engaging kitchen and break-out areas. Taking a water or coffee break should be enjoyable for your team so try to create light and bright areas with plenty of comfortable seating to support collaboration, creativity and generally to help forge relationships in the workplace.

Thinking about upgrading your office hydration setup?

We help UK offices choose water dispensers that suit team size, layout, and sustainability goals. If you want a clear comparison or a tailored recommendation, our team can guide you.

If you’d like any further information on our range of water dispensers or our bean to cup coffee machines, simply get in touch with our friendly team.