Schneider Electric published its Water Crunch research on 20 October, examining water risks for industry in Europe. The survey was conducted in June 2026 across the UK, Ireland, Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Sweden and Denmark. It included 210 industrial leaders at large companies with at least 1,000 employees and 130 decision-makers from water utilities, municipalities and public infrastructure providers. Censuswide conducted the research commissioned by Schneider Electric.

Among surveyed industrial leaders, 52% expected water quality or availability to become a serious barrier to growth by 2031, while 14% said it was already a barrier. Over the previous two years, 44% said water stress had raised operating costs, 38% reported pressure on infrastructure and maintenance budgets, and 30% said supply chains had been disrupted. These are responses from Schneider Electric’s survey, not measured Europe-wide loss rates, and should be read in the context of company-sponsored market research.