Industry Statistics
The UK water dispenser market consists of bottled water dispensers, mains fed (POU) dispensers which dispense filtered chilled mains tap water, and Integrated Tap Systems (ITS). The market is developing to embrace hydration solutions for the hotel, restaurant and catering trade, as well as bottle filling stations and boxed water – however, these are not included in the figures reported below.
Water Dispenser Market data highlights for 2023
(source: Zenith Global)
Overall, in 2023, unit placements for both bottled and mains fed units reached over 782,000 dispensers in the field, a 0.2% increase on the previous year’s numbers.
46.9% were mains-fed water dispensers with 366,707 units.
Bottled water dispensers now account for 41.5%, a decrease of 1.6%.
Multi-functional integrated tap systems (ITS) make up the remaining percentage 11.6%, growing to almost 91,000 units.
Increased use of refillable water bottles is helping to reduce the amount of single use plastic waste.
The industry’s revenue rose by 7.3% to £180 million largely due to the strong performance of mains fed rentals and bulk bottled water sales.
Market Forecast
Zenith Global forecasts that:
The shift from bottled to bottle-free mains fed solutions will continue. By the end of the forecast period (2028) mains fed is expected to capture the largest market share at 48.1% up from 46.9% in 2023
BWD is projected to decline to 39.5% down from 41.5% and ITS is anticipated to increase its share to 12.5% up from 11.6% in 2023
By 2028 the total market is expected to reach 806,000 units, 3.1% above 2023.
UK Water Dispense
Future water consumption trends
The refill revolution continues and the dispense industry is well positioned to be the solution for low-plastic, sustainable water provision.
Water volumes are expected to maintain an upward trajectory reaching 272.8 million litres by 2028.
The anticipated growth in the future is driven by the core principles of health consciousness, convenience, and the trend towards premium offerings both in the home and workplace
For further market information contact www.zenithglobal.com
The WHA wishes to thank Zenith Global for making this data available to the Association.
Why choose a WHA member for your home or business
Choosing a WHA-approved member for a drinking water provider, gives customers confidence in the quality of their hydration service. WHA approval represents a recognised and measurable standard, supported by rigorous annual audits, with all members bound by strict bylaws, codes-of-practice, advertising, and conduct standards.
