Annual Water Report 2025

The State of Water in Real Estate: Risks, Insights & Actions

Water is no longer just a utility cost—it's a growing strategic risk for real estate. With rising tariffs, worsening droughts, and stricter EU regulations, the pressure is mounting. Our 2025 Annual Water Report explains why—and how the industry must respond.

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Facing the Crisis: The Numbers Behind the Pressure

In 2024 alone, water tariffs rose as much as 16.6% in parts of Europe—well beyond inflation. Nearly three-quarters of the continent's territory now faces seasonal water stress, and new EU legislation is making sustainable water management not just a moral imperative but a legal one.

For real estate stakeholders, this is not just about compliance. Poor water efficiency drives up operating costs, increases risk of asset devaluation, and impacts ESG ratings. Yet with smarter tools and data, buildings can be part of the solution.

Turning Data Into Action: What the Report Reveals

This year’s report draws on over 13.5 billion liters of monitored water use across 5,370 properties in 36 countries. It highlights patterns of consumption and leakage across property types—residential, hospitality, office, retail, and healthcare—and explores how smarter systems can detect anomalies, stop waste, and reduce costs.

One key takeaway? Nearly 772 million liters of water were lost to leaks last year. That’s equivalent to 300 Olympic swimming pools—and most of it was avoidable.

What you'll find in the Full Report

Discover the key data, insights, and strategies shaping water management across the real estate and utilities sectors in 2025:

Water Consumption Benchmarks
Compare usage across 5,370 properties by type and region, with insights into peak usage patterns and inefficiencies.

Leakage Impact & Prevention
Learn how 772 million liters were lost to leaks—and how real-time monitoring helped save over 1.15 million liters.

Regional Water Pricing Trends
See how tariffs have spiked across Europe, with detailed comparisons by country and year-over-year changes.

ESG & Compliance Readiness
Understand what the CSRD requires, and how to align water data with reporting standards and ESG goals.

Real-World Case Studies
Explore examples from Sweden and Norway showing how Smartvatten clients prevented damage, reduced waste, and saved costs.

Technology & Platform Updates
Get an inside look at Smartvatten’s latest analytics tools, AI-driven alerts, and how they’re helping thousands of clients act smarter, faster.

Smartvatten in Practice: Solutions That Work

Smartvatten provides real-time monitoring, leak detection, and actionable analytics for both property owners and water utilities. With AI-powered dashboards and automated alerts, stakeholders can track usage, benchmark performance, and respond before issues spiral into costly problems.

Take LW Fastigheter, for example. One of their properties was silently leaking up to 10 liters per minute. Smartvatten’s real-time alert helped them intervene immediately, saving an estimated 432,000 liters per month and preventing serious damage.