WATER JOEL WILLE – SENIOR PRODUCT AND INNOVATION MANAGER, ZIP WATER, UK
Modern facilities with sustainable hydration
By integrating safe, accessible, and sustainable hydration systems, trusts can improve patient outcomes and meet their ESG commitments, as Joel Wille, senior product and innovation manager at Zip Water, explains.
In healthcare, even the smallest decisions carry potentially life-changing consequences – and drinking water provision is no exception. From preventing dehydration-related complications to mitigating the risk of waterborne pathogens, the way healthcare facilities manage hydration has direct implications for patient health, staff wellbeing, and sustainability. And pressures are only intensifying.
A recent NHS report, for instance, found a £13.8 billion backlog in NHS estate maintenance – with £2.7 billion categorised as high risk, directly affecting people being treated, working in, or visiting healthcare facilities.
A multidisciplinary challenge Meeting these pressures is not the job of one team alone. It requires coordinated effort across estates, infection control, and design. Facilities managers and procurement teams are tasked with delivering safe, reliable buildings and services, while also meeting increasingly demanding sustainability targets. Infection prevention teams are tackling
the persistent threat of novel viruses like COVID-19, pathogens like Legionella, and parasites like Cryptosporidium and Giardia. While hospital architects are tasked with rethinking how healthcare spaces and systems can be more resilient, efficient, and accessible. Against this backdrop, drinking water
provision becomes a kind of litmus test for how well healthcare facilities can balance competing priorities. It sits at
demand on already stretched clinical services. Evidence suggests the burden is particularly acute among older people. A systematic review found that dehydration on hospital admission affected around 40 per cent of older patients. These patients faced longer hospital stays, higher readmission rates, and an increased risk of mortality, underscoring the extent to which hydration is intertwined with both quality of care and operational efficiency.
the crossroads of health and safety, sustainability, compliance, and patient experience – the need to protect against pathogens, support staff and patient wellbeing through proper hydration, and meet ambitious energy and waste reductions.
Joel Wille is senior product and
innovation manager at Zip Water, a market leader in high-performance drinking water systems for over 75 years. Joel drives the development of world-leading, sustainable solutions designed to meet the standards of high-demand
environments including healthcare. IFHE DIGEST 2026
The hidden cost of poor hydration Hydration is an essential yet often overlooked asset in healthcare. Dehydration alone is estimated to cost the NHS over £1 billion annually in avoidable complications, affecting as many as 1 in 7 patients. The consequences are wide-ranging and can lead to a cascade of health problems – from urinary tract infections, constipation, and acute kidney injury to delirium, increased risk of falls and fractures, and delayed wound healing. These outcomes not only affect patient health but drive additional
Joel Wille
Barriers to adequate hydration in practice Although older patients are at high risk, the issue is not confined to the elderly. Patients of all ages can become dehydrated during hospital stays for reasons such as: l Limited mobility or physical ability to pour drinks at designated hydration station.
l Beverages or water sources being out of reach.
l Insufficient staff awareness of the signs and consequences of dehydration.
l Patient taste preferences not being met by available water sources. Inadequate water system design, outdated infrastructure, poorly maintained equipment, and limited availability of safe, palatable water can discourage patients and staff from maintaining adequate fluid intake and increase risks associated with dehydration. Our research demonstrates the central
role taste plays, with 89 per cent of respondents surveyed in a public taste test saying they would drink more if they had access to filtered drinking water. The results underscore just how much water quality and palatability can directly influence hydration levels.
Hydration and staff wellbeing Beyond the clinical impact, hydration plays a key role in staff wellbeing and performance. Just a one per cent drop in hydration can begin to affect cognitive function and performance, reducing
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