Water industry talent exodus being exacerbated by Thames Water scrutiny

The ongoing scrutiny of Thames Water is exacerbating the recruitment struggles being felt across the entire water industry, expert hiring specialist, Murray McIntosh, has warned.

According to the firm’s 2025 Water Industry Labour Report, nearly half (49%) of water engineers believe that a lack of resources is the biggest problem facing water, almost double the figure reported last year. Respondents indicated that the scope of AMP8 and public perception of the industry were two of the biggest drivers of the sector’s issues at the moment.

As a result, two-thirds (66%) of the workforce are set to leave the industry for other sectors in the next few years.

As Adam Cave, Managing Director and founder at Murray McIntosh highlights, the continued ‘spotlight of negativity’ could amplify the pre-existing talent shortages that have already been felt across water, potentially pushing more out of the industry and preventing new recruits from pursuing a career in the sector:

Adam Cave, MD & Founder, Water by Murray
Adam Cave, MD & Founder, Water by Murray

“People shortages have been rife in water for some time, and while the issue may be multifaceted, we can’t ignore the sheer fact that the negative perception of the industry is making this worse. Yes, there is an issue in relation to the scale of demand far outreaching the availability of resources, but how many engineers are going to want to put their neck on the line and choose a career in water, when there is so much criticism of the sector?

“The simple fact is, the Thames Water saga is being driven by multiple issues behind the scenes that have led to this unfortunate situation, one of which is the significant recruitment and retention challenges that the entire water industry is facing. The sector faces profound and entrenched problems with the talent market, which are ramping up at the worst possible time, just at the start of the largest and most demanding asset management period in history. While the headlines are taken up by issues related to bonus payments and pollution, it’s skills that are the most fundamental issue facing the market, but one that is too often overlooked.

“We need to reshape the perception of UK water, keep engineers operating in this industry, and encourage the next generation to consider careers within it. That is no easy task, and requires a true collective focus from across the market, which we are simply not seeing at the moment.”

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