Building Water Resilience at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust
From Targeted Monitoring to a Growing Strategic Partnership
Since 2023, SWAES has worked through Sodexo to help Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust build a progressively clearer understanding of water use across its complex healthcare estate.
From Targeted Monitoring to Strategic Partnership
SWAES was first engaged through Sodexo in 2023 to improve visibility of water use across Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust. What began as targeted monitoring has developed year on year into a broader strategic partnership with both Sodexo and MFT.
The programme now covers 42 monitoring points and counting. Regular analysis and reporting provide deeper insight into how water moves through the estate, helping teams distinguish between what is being paid for and what is being accounted for across the site.
Building a Fuller Understanding of the Estate
A large hospital estate has complex patterns of demand and many potential points of loss. Monitoring, reporting and engineering review provide a more timely and detailed picture than manual readings alone, helping to identify discrepancies, abnormal consumption and avoidable water use.
The approach combines site knowledge with non-invasive monitoring and a water-balance view of the estate, so operational teams can prioritise areas for further investigation and action.
Turning Insight into Measurable Improvement
Monitoring and engineering review have helped identify abnormal consumption and support targeted action, including the mitigation of a legacy issue associated with the hydrotherapy pool. The programme has contributed to materially lower daily water demand, with further opportunities being developed collectively.
This demonstrates how continued engagement can turn operational data into practical improvements, while retaining the evidence needed to understand change over time.
Reporting That Keeps Water Visible
Automated reporting and regular SWAES review keep water performance visible for the Sodexo and MFT teams. Clear reporting highlights trends, persistent baseload, anomalies and action priorities, supporting informed decisions rather than leaving water use unnoticed.
As monitoring coverage expands, SWAES, Sodexo and MFT will continue building a fuller estate-wide understanding of where water is used, where avoidable losses may occur and how more efficient ways of operating can be implemented collectively.