Industry expertise

Specialist market research for the UK water industry

Recognised with a gold rating from OFWAT, Turquoise is a trusted partner to the UK water sector. For nearly forty years, we’ve supported most major water suppliers with tailored market research that helps utilities and water technology companies make confident, strategic decisions.

From consumer behaviours to infrastructure investment priorities, our research expertise helps water sector organisations adapt to changing demands, improve service delivery and build resilient water systems for the future.

Unlocking water Industry opportunities through research

Water conservation and demand management insights

Water scarcity and environmental pressures pose complex challenges for the water industry. Effective conservation relies on understanding consumer behaviour and water usage patterns. Our water market analysis reveals household consumption habits, peak demand drivers and the impact of conservation programmes across customer segments. These insights help water utilities develop targeted demand strategies, optimise resources and meet sustainability goals without compromising service.

Infrastructure investment and asset management research

Aging water infrastructure demands strategic replacement and upgrade planning. We assess infrastructure condition priorities, evaluate technology adoption readiness and analyse cost-benefit scenarios for capital investments. Our research supports long-term asset management planning, helps prioritise maintenance schedules and guides decision-making.

Water quality perception and trust building

Public trust in water quality directly impacts utility operations and customer satisfaction. We measure consumer confidence levels, identify quality concerns and evaluate communication effectiveness around water safety initiatives. This intelligence helps utilities address perception gaps, improve transparency and strengthen community relationships through targeted education and engagement programmes.

Regulatory landscape and compliance strategy

Water quality regulations continue evolving to address emerging contaminants and environmental protection requirements. Our research monitors regulatory developments, assesses compliance costs and evaluates stakeholder reactions to new standards. This forward-looking approach enables proactive compliance planning, strategic advocacy and operational adjustments that maintain regulatory standing while controlling costs.

Technology adoption and innovation assessment

Water treatment innovations offer significant operational improvements, but successful implementation requires market validation. We evaluate technology acceptance among utilities, assess implementation barriers and analyse cost-effectiveness across different operational contexts.

Our work, your success

Powering breakthrough decision-making

Leading UK water industry research excellence

Effective market research transforms the water market by revealing hidden opportunities, mitigating operational risks and improving customer outcomes. As dedicated research partners to water sector leaders, we combine technical expertise with market intelligence to deliver insights that drive operational excellence, support sustainable growth and enhance community water security.

Discover how our water industry market research capabilities can advance your strategic objectives by getting in touch today.

FAQs

How can market research improve water utility customer relations and satisfaction?

Comprehensive water market research reveals specific customer pain points, communication preferences and service expectations that directly impact satisfaction scores. We help water companies understand billing concerns, service interruption tolerance and conservation motivations, enabling targeted improvements in customers service delivery, communication strategies and programme design that strengthen community relationships.

Minimise risk: Market research ensures that you are making data-driven decisions rather than relying on assumptions, which increases the likelihood of a successful project, product or service.

Discover opportunities: Market research not only enables you to find the answers you have been looking for, it also helps you uncover unmet needs and emerging trends that can drive innovation and market expansion.

Understand your customers: Customers are the key to growing your business. Market research ensures you gain deep insights into customer motivations, preferences and pain points helping you create and deliver products and services that truly resonate with your audience.

Optimise marketing efforts: Taking a stab in the dark is not only ineffective but also wastes money and resources. Drive engagement and conversions by targeting the right audiences with relevant messaging all backed up with market research.

Stay ahead of competitors: It’s no longer good enough to just think you know your customers. It’s time to invest in market research to stay ahead of market shifts and maintain your competitive advantage.

Can water industry market research support smaller municipal utilities with limited resources?

Our water market research solutions scale effectively for municipal utilities of all sizes. We offer focused studies on specific operational challenges, phased research approaches and collaborative regional studies that provide valuable strategic insights within municipal budget constraints while addressing the unique needs of smaller water systems.

What makes water industry research distinct from other utility market research?

Water industry market research addresses unique sector challenges including drought resilience, water quality perception, conservation psychology and infrastructure aging rates that differ significantly from other utilities. Our methodologies incorporate public health considerations, environmental sustainability factors and the essential nature of water services while focusing on long-term resource security and community trust building.