Fire and rescue services are changing how they respond to incidents in areas where they cannot rely on having enough water available for firefighting, raising concerns about how effectively crews can tackle fires when water infrastructure is under pressure.

New findings from the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) show that 81% of responding UK fire and rescue services have changed their planned response arrangements in areas where there are known problems accessing sufficient water.

Water shortages can change how firefighters respond

Firefighting can require significant volumes of water, particularly at larger incidents or when dealing with high-rise buildings, warehouses, industrial premises or wildfires.

When hydrants do not provide sufficient flow or pressure, firefighters may need to find alternative water sources or bring in additional equipment to maintain supplies. NFCC says this can involve deploying extra appliances or high volume pumps, while crews may also be diverted from their initial firefighting tasks to locate suitable water supplies.

Half of the services responding to the NFCC survey said they encountered insufficient water flow or pressure somewhat or very frequently. More than half, 58%, had also introduced additional measures following significant water supply outages.

For fire safety professionals, this raises questions about whether firefighting water is being properly considered when buildings and developments are designed, approved and maintained.

The challenge extends beyond hydrants

NFCC's findings point to wider issues across the water network, including delays in installing and repairing hydrants, changes to mains infrastructure and inconsistent communication between water companies and fire and rescue services.

The organisation says firefighters do not always receive timely information about changes to water networks, which can affect pre-incident planning and the ability to identify suitable water sources during an emergency.

There are also concerns around new developments. Firefighting water requirements are not always clearly established during planning and building design, potentially leaving fire services to identify problems later in the process. NFCC argues that adequate water provision should be secured before development is approved.

Climate change could add further pressure

The issue is becoming more significant as fire risks change.

Extreme heat and drought can increase pressure on water supplies while also increasing the likelihood of wildfires. At the same time, flooding can affect the accessibility and usability of hydrants and other firefighting infrastructure.

NFCC also highlights the increasing water requirements associated with more complex and high-risk buildings such as data centres.

This creates a fire safety challenge that extends beyond the incident itself. Water availability needs to be considered as part of wider resilience planning, particularly where developments or changing environmental conditions could place additional demands on local infrastructure.

Firefighting water comes at a rising cost

The infrastructure needed to support firefighting is also becoming more expensive for fire and rescue services.

NFCC evidence shows that hydrant installation and maintenance charges rose by an average of 85% between 2014 and 2024. The organisation says costs also vary, with limited transparency around how charges are calculated.

For services already managing pressure on budgets, these additional costs create another challenge in maintaining the infrastructure needed to support an effective emergency response.

What needs to change?

NFCC is calling for firefighting water to be treated as a core public safety requirement, rather than an issue dealt with separately from wider water and development planning.

Its proposals include clearer national requirements for firefighting water, stronger performance expectations for water companies, greater transparency around hydrant costs and better consideration of water provision during planning and building design.

For the fire safety sector, the issue reinforces the importance of considering what happens beyond the point at which a building is occupied. The ability to detect, contain and respond to a fire depends not only on the systems within a building, but also on whether firefighters can access the infrastructure they need when they arrive.

With fire risks evolving alongside climate change, development and increasing pressure on water resources, reliable firefighting water is becoming an increasingly important part of fire safety and emergency preparedness.

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