Inadequate water supplies for firefighting are creating growing risks to public safety, according to the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), as new evidence reveals that more than four in five Fire and Rescue Services have changed their emergency response arrangements in areas where access to water is a concern.

The NFCC’s new Position Statement on Water Supplies for Firefighting highlights concerns over the reliability, affordability and resilience of the water infrastructure firefighters rely on to protect communities.

A survey of UK Fire and Rescue Services, conducted by the NFCC earlier this year, found that 81% of respondents had changed their planned level of response in areas where there are known difficulties accessing sufficient water for firefighting.

The findings also revealed that more than half of Fire and Rescue Services had introduced additional measures in response to significant water supply outages.

The operational impact of these challenges was highlighted during a major wildfire in Stourbridge this summer, where West Midlands Fire Service experienced ongoing issues with water pressure over several days.

At the height of the incident, firefighters relied on a High Volume Pumping Unit to help maintain water supplies. At one stage, replenishing a water carrier took almost 40 minutes due to reduced pressure.

Representatives from the water company were deployed to the scene and took part in multi-agency briefings as firefighting crews continued to manage fluctuating water supplies throughout the incident.

Fire and Rescue Services have reported a range of concerns, including inadequate water flow and pressure from hydrants, delays to the installation and repair of firefighting infrastructure, inconsistent engagement from water companies and rising costs associated with hydrant maintenance and replacement.

NFCC evidence indicates that hydrant installation and maintenance charges increased by an average of 85% between 2014 and 2024. Fire and Rescue Services have also reported limited transparency around how these costs are calculated.

Critical public safety requirement

The NFCC is calling for water for firefighting to be recognised as a critical public safety requirement, with Fire and Rescue Services formally recognised as key stakeholders in the future regulation and planning of the water sector.

NFCC chair Phil Garrigan commented: “Firefighters cannot fight fires without water. That sounds obvious, yet our evidence shows four in every five Fire and Rescue Services have had to change response plans due to their concerns about firefighting water supplies.”

Garrigan continued: “We saw the impact of these challenges during the Stourbridge wildfires when issues with water pressure created additional operational difficulties for crews tackling a major incident.”

Further, Garrigan stated: “The demands placed on Fire and Rescue Services are growing, with larger wildfires, extreme weather and increasingly complex risks. As the task becomes more challenging, the very least firefighters should be able to rely on is access to the water they need to protect people and property.”

The NFCC’s Position Statement warns that growing pressures from climate change, drought, population growth, housing development and emerging infrastructure such as Data Centres and battery energy storage systems are increasing demand on what’s an already stretched water network. 

Clear national standards

The NFCC is also calling for clear national standards for firefighting water provision, stronger accountability for water companies and greater transparency around hydrant charges.

Its recommendations include improved consideration of firefighting water requirements within planning decisions, alongside better access to water network information to support effective emergency response.

According to the NFCC, forthcoming reforms to the water sector provide an opportunity to strengthen resilience and ensure firefighting requirements are properly considered in future infrastructure and investment decisions.

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