How Much Water Does a London Office Need?

Running out of drinking water halfway through a busy working day is something most office managers would rather avoid. At the same time, ordering far more bottled water than anyone actually drinks means finding somewhere to store it and paying for water you may not need.

So, how much drinking water should a London office actually plan for?

There isn’t one figure that works for every workplace. A small design studio with eight people will have very different requirements from a busy office with 80 employees, several meeting rooms and a steady stream of visitors.

Staff numbers are a useful starting point, but working patterns, the type of workplace, the weather and even where the water cooler is positioned can all affect consumption.

How Much Water Should Employees Drink During the Day?

NHS guidance recommends that most people aim to drink around six to eight cups or glasses of fluid each day. Water is an obvious choice, although other drinks including tea, coffee and lower-fat milk can also contribute towards daily fluid intake.

That doesn’t mean an employer needs to provide every litre of an employee’s daily fluid requirement through an office water cooler.

People drink before and after work, bring their own drinks, make tea or coffee in the office and get some fluid from food. Hybrid working also means that the number of people using an office on a particular day may be quite different from the number on the staff list.

For an office manager, therefore, the more useful question is:

How much water are our employees actually drinking while they are at work?

The best estimate usually comes from combining staff numbers with your existing consumption.

If you’re already ordering bottled water, look at how many bottles you use during a normal month. If you’re setting up a new office, start with a sensible estimate and monitor usage during the first few weeks.

A Simple Way to Estimate Office Water Requirements

As a rough planning figure, allowing approximately one litre of drinking water per person during a working day can provide a useful starting point.

It isn’t a medical recommendation or a fixed rule. Some employees will drink considerably more from the cooler, while others will get much of their fluid from tea, coffee and drinks brought from home.

Using one litre simply makes the initial calculation straightforward.

Treat these figures as a starting point rather than an ordering instruction.

A London office with ten employees attending five days a week may use more water than a nominally 30-person office where most employees work from home three days a week.

Actual attendance matters.

Small London Offices: Fewer Than 10 Employees

A small office doesn’t necessarily need a large hydration set-up.

For a team of five to ten people, a bottled water cooler can be a practical option, particularly where there isn’t a convenient mains connection close to the kitchen or communal area.

Countertop machines can also make sense where floor space is limited.

This is particularly relevant in London, where smaller offices are often working with limited kitchen and storage space.

The important consideration with bottled water isn’t only how quickly you empty a bottle. You also need somewhere sensible to keep replacement bottles.

If your team grows or starts using substantially more water, it may be worth reconsidering whether bottled or mains-fed is the better long-term option.

Offices With 10 to 25 Employees

Once an office reaches around 10 to 25 regular employees, consumption becomes easier to notice.

A cooler that was perfectly adequate for six people can become surprisingly busy when 20 people are using it throughout the day.

At this size, either a bottled or mains-fed water cooler can work well. Living-Water’s range of office water coolers includes both options for workplaces of different sizes.

The choice often comes down to three practical questions:

• Is there a suitable mains water connection?
• Is there enough room to store replacement bottles?
• How much water is the team actually using?

If bottles are being replaced frequently, a mains-fed cooler starts becoming more attractive because the machine draws its water directly from the mains rather than relying on replacement bottles.

Offices With 25 to 50 Employees

For a workplace with 25 to 50 regular users, it’s worth looking beyond the simple question of how many litres are being consumed.

Think about where people work.

If everyone is on one floor, a well-positioned cooler may be sufficient. If the business occupies several floors or has separate departments, asking everyone to walk to one water point isn’t particularly convenient.

This is where multiple hydration points can sometimes make more sense than one heavily used machine.

Higher-consumption workplaces may also find mains-fed water coolers more practical because there are no large replacement bottles to store, move and change.

That doesn’t automatically make bottled water the wrong choice. Buildings where plumbing access is difficult may still be better suited to bottled machines.

Offices With 50 to 100 Employees

At this size, drinking water becomes something that should be planned as part of the workplace rather than treated as an appliance in the corner of the kitchen.

Consider where employees spend their time.

A business might have:

• a main kitchen;
• several floors;
• meeting and conference rooms;
• reception areas;
• breakout spaces; and
• different departments operating some distance apart.

Rather than asking whether one water cooler can technically serve 70 people, ask whether employees have convenient access to drinking water throughout the workplace.

Two or three sensibly positioned machines may provide a better experience than one very busy cooler.

What About Offices With More Than 100 Employees?

Large workplaces need a slightly different approach.

Calculating total expected consumption is still useful, but capacity and location become equally important.

For example, 150 employees may not all use the same part of the building. Some may be based on different floors, while others work in meeting areas, workshops or separate office sections.

Several mains-fed coolers or drinking water dispensers positioned around the building can remove the need to manage a large volume of replacement bottles.

However, every building is different. Older London properties in particular can present practical plumbing or installation considerations that need to be assessed before deciding on the best solution.

Don’t Calculate Water Requirements From Headcount Alone

One of the easiest mistakes is simply multiplying the total number of employees by a fixed quantity.

Imagine a company officially has 60 employees.

On Monday, 45 might be in the office.

On Tuesday, there could be 25.

Friday might have only 15 because most of the team works remotely.

Ordering water as though 60 people are in the building five days a week could significantly overestimate demand.

Hybrid working has made average daily attendance a much more useful number than total headcount for many London businesses.

Visitors and Meetings Can Make a Big Difference

Some workplaces use relatively little water during a normal day but regularly host clients, training sessions or conferences.

Those visitors still need drinking water.

A meeting for 20 people can create a noticeable temporary increase in demand, particularly during warm weather.

Businesses with frequent external visitors should therefore build a margin into their normal requirements rather than calculating water solely around permanent employees.

Reception staff, facilities managers and office managers will often have a good idea of how frequently these peaks occur.

Does Office Water Consumption Increase During Hot Weather?

It can.

People generally need more fluid when they’re in a hot environment or physically active for extended periods.

A London heatwave can therefore change normal workplace drinking patterns quite quickly.

Offices without effective air conditioning may notice an especially sharp increase.

Businesses using bottled coolers should avoid running stock too tightly during warmer periods. Keeping some sensible reserve capacity can prevent the last bottle being emptied just when everyone wants cold water.

What About Warehouses and More Physical Workplaces?

A desk-based office and a physically demanding workplace shouldn’t be treated as though their hydration requirements are identical.

Employees working in hot conditions or performing physical work may need considerably more fluid.

The Health and Safety Executive specifically warns that dehydration in very hot working conditions can affect health and the ability to work safely. Employers dealing with heat stress should therefore assess hydration requirements according to the actual working environment rather than using a generic office calculation.

In these environments, seek appropriate workplace health and safety guidance rather than relying purely on a litres-per-employee estimate.

How Often Should Bottled Water Be Delivered to an Office?

There isn’t a delivery frequency that’s right for every business.

A small office might use bottles relatively slowly, while a larger workplace could go through several during a normal week.

The better approach is to establish a regular pattern based on actual usage.

Keep track of how many bottles are used over several weeks and look for obvious peaks and quieter periods. Once you understand the pattern, you can plan deliveries with enough reserve stock to avoid running out without filling valuable storage space with unnecessary bottles.

Living-Water provides bottled water delivery in London for homes and businesses, including customers using bottled water coolers.

How Much Storage Space Do Water Bottles Need?

This is easily overlooked.

The machine itself might occupy very little floor space, but a bottled water system also requires somewhere to keep full replacement bottles and, depending on the collection arrangement, empties awaiting removal.

For a small business this may not be a problem.

For a busy central London office where every square metre matters, it can become an important consideration.

If you’re constantly finding places to store bottles, it may be worth comparing your bottled system with a mains-fed alternative.

When Does a Mains-Fed Water Cooler Make More Sense?

Mains-fed water coolers connect to the building’s water supply, removing the need to continually replace large water bottles.

They can be particularly useful where:

• water consumption is high;
• there are many employees;
• storage space is limited;
• bottles need changing frequently; or
• the business wants a continuous water supply without managing bottle stock.

Installation does, of course, depend on having a suitable water connection.

For a larger workplace or one using significant quantities of bottled water, it’s worth comparing the practical advantages of the two systems before deciding.

When Is a Bottled Water Cooler the Better Option?

Bottled water coolers still make excellent sense in plenty of workplaces.

They can be particularly useful where a convenient mains connection isn’t available or where the business wants flexibility over where the cooler is positioned.

They may also suit smaller workplaces where consumption doesn’t justify installing a mains-fed system.

The right choice isn’t necessarily the newest or most sophisticated machine. It’s the one that works with the building, the number of users and the way the business operates.

Where Should an Office Water Cooler Be Positioned?

Position can have a surprisingly large effect on usage.

A cooler hidden away in an unused room is less convenient than one positioned close to the areas employees naturally use during the day.

Common locations include:

• kitchens;
• breakout areas;
• communal spaces;
• reception areas; and
• staff dining areas.

For larger offices, several smaller hydration points can sometimes work better than a single central machine.

Accessibility matters too. UK workplace regulations require an adequate supply of wholesome drinking water to be readily accessible at suitable locations.

Bottled or Mains-Fed: Which Is Better for Your Office?

Neither option is automatically better.

A bottled water cooler offers flexibility and doesn’t require the same direct water connection. A mains-fed machine removes the need to store and replace bottles and can be particularly practical for workplaces with consistent, higher consumption.

For a smaller London office, bottled water may be perfectly adequate.

As employee numbers and consumption increase, mains-fed options become worth considering.

If you aren’t ready to purchase equipment outright, water cooler rental provides another option. Living-Water offers bottled and mains-fed rental, with bottled water cooler rental starting from £1 per week.

Alternatively, businesses looking for a longer-term equipment solution can buy a water cooler outright.

The sensible approach is to look at your actual circumstances rather than choosing solely on price or appearance.

A Better Way to Work Out What Your Office Needs

If you’re trying to calculate your office water requirements, start with five pieces of information:

1. Average daily attendance

Use the number of people who are actually in the building rather than simply looking at payroll headcount.

2. Current consumption

If you already use bottled water, record how many bottles you’re getting through.

3. Visitors

Allow for clients, meetings, training days and events.

4. Your building

Consider available plumbing, cooler locations and bottle storage space.

5. Seasonal changes

Leave some flexibility for periods when consumption increases.

After a few weeks, actual usage will tell you far more than any generic online calculator.

Planning Drinking Water for a London Workplace

Providing drinking water doesn’t need to be complicated.

A small office may be perfectly comfortable with a single bottled cooler. A larger organisation may need several mains-fed machines spread across different floors. Another business may need a mixture of solutions because of the layout of its building.

The key is to avoid choosing a water system based purely on employee numbers.

Look at how many people are actually present, how much water they use, where they work and how easily the equipment can be supplied or connected.

Living-Water supplies water coolers to homes and businesses in London, including bottled and mains-fed options. Businesses can rent or purchase equipment depending on their requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much water should I provide per employee in an office?

There isn’t a fixed amount that every employer should order per employee. NHS guidance recommends that most people consume six to eight cups or glasses of fluid throughout the day, but employees obtain fluid from several sources. For initial workplace planning, you can estimate likely office consumption and then adjust it using actual usage.

How much water does a 10-person office need?

As a simple starting estimate, allowing around one litre of cooler water per employee per working day would mean approximately 50 litres during a five-day week. Actual consumption may be higher or lower depending on attendance and drinking habits.

How much water does a 20-person office need?

Using the same rough planning assumption, 20 employees could consume around 100 litres of cooler water over five working days. Monitor actual usage rather than treating this as a fixed requirement.

How much water does a 50-person office need?

A starting estimate of one litre per employee during the working day would equal approximately 250 litres over a five-day week. At this level, it is also worth considering cooler capacity, bottle storage and whether more than one hydration point is required.

Should I calculate water based on total employees?

Not necessarily. For hybrid workplaces, average daily attendance is usually more useful. A company employing 50 people may have considerably fewer than 50 employees in the office on an average day.

Do offices use more drinking water during summer?

They can. People may need additional fluid during hot weather, and workplace water consumption can increase accordingly. Businesses using bottled water should consider keeping reasonable reserve stock during warmer periods.

Is bottled water suitable for a small office?

Yes. Bottled water coolers can work particularly well for smaller offices or locations where connecting a machine directly to the mains isn’t practical.

When should an office consider a mains-fed water cooler?

A mains-fed machine is worth considering when water consumption is relatively high, bottles require frequent replacement, storage is limited or the business wants a continuous supply without managing bottle stock.

How many water coolers does a large office need?

There is no universal ratio. Consider the number of employees, average attendance, building layout, number of floors and distance employees need to travel to reach drinking water. Multiple conveniently positioned machines may be more practical than one central cooler.

Does an employer have to provide drinking water?

UK workplace regulations require an adequate supply of wholesome drinking water for people at work. The supply should be readily accessible at suitable places, with suitable drinking vessels provided unless the supply is delivered through a drinking fountain or similar jet.