Less than 1% of businesses in England use more water than the daily needs of 10 million people, even as millions of households face restrictions on using garden hoses and three-quarters of the country is experiencing drought conditions. Businesses across England use 2.6 billion litres of water per day from public water supplies, which include both drinkable and non-drinkable water provided by water companies. Businesses account for about 30% of the total public water supply, with two-thirds of that usage occurring in areas facing water shortages, according to Mosl, the organization that manages England’s business water market. The largest users of public water supply include oil refineries, chemical plants, and paper mills, some of which are not required to reduce their water use. According to Mosl’s map of business water supply points, the ExxonMobil Esso refinery in Fawley, Southampton, is the largest user of public water supply. However, the site includes multiple companies using water for various purposes, including waste, gas, chemicals, and energy. Mosl highlighted the refinery as an example of "high volume of water wastage in industry that is not disincentivised by government or the regulatory framework," though it did not name the refinery directly. ExxonMobil disputed the figures, stating its water use was confidential. Mosl said it planned to redact parts of its evidence to a House of Lords committee and later removed a report and its map from its website. The refinery said most of its water use was for cooling from the Solent strait, with only a small portion used for industrial processes that cannot be easily reduced. Other major users of public water supply include paper mills and companies in the chemicals and soft drinks industries. However, the overall picture of business water use is incomplete. One in 10 businesses are not metered, meaning their water use is not measured or reported. Of those that are metered, only 11% have smart meters that can track usage in real time. Mosl collects data on water taken from public supplies but is not allowed to share all of it freely, even with government departments. Mosl’s chief executive, Sarah McMath, said that when government agencies requested data, Mosl had to negotiate special agreements to share it. Mosl is working with the water regulator, Ofwat, to change this so data can be shared when it benefits the environment or society. A lack of data is complicating national water planning. Gaps in local authority growth plans, combined with what the Environment Agency and Ofwat describe as "commercial secrecy, especially in the energy sector," mean planning often relies on assumptions. The Environment Agency and Ofwat are calling for mandatory reporting of current and projected water use across all sectors to improve water security. Mosl said its data highlights both opportunities and regulatory barriers to encouraging businesses to use less water. Rather than focusing on individual users, it argued that efforts should focus on creating conditions that support investment in water efficiency and reuse where safe and practical. Water resources planning assumes business water consumption will decrease by 9% by 2038 and 15% by 2050. However, Water UK, a trade body representing water companies, argues these assumptions are unrealistic due to growing demand from new homes, datacentres, and hydrogen production. It wants water companies to plan based on actual demand rather than government targets. Some businesses are not required to report all their water use, and for some, the more water they use, the cheaper each unit becomes. One operator told Mosl that a single UK datacentre uses 219 million litres of water per year and has backup systems in place. Businesses can also take water directly from rivers, lakes, aquifers, and the sea through a process called abstraction. This is regulated separately by the Environment Agency. Some abstraction is not reported, as individuals and organizations can take up to 20,000 litres per day from natural sources without a licence or reporting it. This gap covers an estimated 850,000 people and organisations across England, mostly on farms and in rural areas. Critics argue that the current situation reflects regulatory failures. Richard Benwell, CEO of the NGO coalition Wildlife and Countryside Link, said it is unfair that petrochemical and fossil fuel companies, which are major contributors to the climate crisis, are also draining water from already stressed environments. Feargal Sharkey, a water campaigner, criticized the lack of regulation, saying it allows corporate interests to take precedence over public and environmental needs. The government said it is taking action to secure water supplies, including plans to build nine new reservoirs and invest in infrastructure. Water UK said the current forecasts for water needs are flawed, as the growing demand from datacentres is not included. Meanwhile, England’s water companies are losing about 2.2 billion litres of water daily through leaks, highlighting the urgent need for better planning and regulation.