Thirsty Work
Thirsty Work is a UK B2B supplier of workplace hydration infrastructure, renting and servicing bottled and mains-fed water coolers, hot water dispensers, sparkling and touchless units, and Pura filtration systems across offices, education, healthcare, hospitality, and industrial sites via a nationwide depot network.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersExeter, United Kingdom
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Thirsty Work does
Thirsty Work is a UK-based B2B supplier of workplace hydration infrastructure, providing bottled water coolers, mains-fed (plumbed-in) water coolers, instant hot water dispensers, sparkling water dispensers, touchless dispensers, water fountains, and bottle-filling stations. The core offering centres on the rental of these units to UK businesses, supported by recurring bottled water delivery (18.9L or 13L spring water bottles from Wenlock Edge, North Shropshire), scheduled sanitisation, filter changes, parts, labour, and call-out cover bundled into a monthly subscription. The product range is differentiated by an in-house Pura filtration line (Pura500/1000/3000/6000, PuraFX30/72/72Dual, PuraLP, PuraUV) targeting removal of trace plastics, chlorine, scale, lead, PFAS, PFOA, and cysts, alongside approved resale and servicing of Elkay indoor and outdoor bottle-filling systems.
The commercial model combines subscription rental and recurring bottled water delivery with one-off equipment sales and accessories (Pura glass bottles, stainless steel bottles, dishwasher racks, Pura filters). Go-to-market is sales-led with B2B direct outreach via phone, website quote forms, and a 10-day no-obligation free trial; nationwide coverage is delivered through a depot network spanning Exeter (HQ), London, Portsmouth, Plymouth, Swindon, Walsall, Huddersfield, Hemel Hempstead, and Scotland, enabling a stated 5-working-day delivery commitment. A wholly-owned hospitality sub-brand, PuraServe, sells premium tap systems, under-counter bottling units, branded glass bottles, and filtration into hotels, restaurants, cafes, conferencing, and leisure venues, with food-grade CO2 supplied via a partnership with BOC.
The customer base is broadly distributed across UK offices (primary segment), education, leisure and gyms, hospitals and healthcare, cafes and restaurants, hotels and hospitality, conferencing and facilities management, factories, film/TV and construction sites, festivals and events, and small businesses. Pricing is primarily quote-based for rental subscriptions (monthly), with bottled water delivery ranging from £5 to £50 per month depending on volume and frequency, and unit-priced accessories (£12.95 stainless bottle, £75 dishwasher racks, £11.95 branded glass bottle at 60-unit minimum). The company is WHA-approved and holds no institutional investors or disclosed parent, with ownership consistent with a privately held, founder- or family-owned UK operator.
Thirsty Work firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Thirsty Work
- Legal name
- Thirsty Work Ltd
- Website
- https://thirstywork.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Thirsty Work is a UK B2B supplier of workplace hydration infrastructure, renting and servicing bottled and mains-fed water coolers, hot water dispensers, sparkling and touchless units, and Pura filtration systems across offices, education, healthcare, hospitality, and industrial sites via a nationwide depot network.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Thirsty Work industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Workplace Water Dispensers and Hydration Services
- NAICS
- Bottled Water Manufacturing (312112), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310), Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies (Hydronics) Merchant Wholesalers (42372)
- SIC
- Beverages (2080), Water Supply (4941), Wholesale-Hardware & Plumbing & Heating Equipment & Supplies (5070)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Bulk Bottled Water Production (Large Format, Home/Office Delivery) (AFAFACAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Replacement Filter Cartridges & Consumables (CRAJAJAH), Pitcher & Dispenser Water Filters (CRAJAJAB), Countertop Water Filtration Systems (CRAJAJAC), Hydration, Water Filtration & Purification Retail (CRAMAMAE)
Keywords
Where Thirsty Work is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Exeter
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices9 records
Markets served
Thirsty Work business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Water Dispenser Rental: Rental of water coolers, hot water dispensers, and water taps. Rental packages include installation, sanitisation, filter changes, parts, labour, and maintenance. The company offers both bottled and mains-fed water coolers for rental.
- Equipment Purchase: Direct purchase of water dispensers and equipment. Customers can buy water coolers, dispensers, accessories, and Pura filtration products outright.
- Bottled Water Delivery: Regular delivery of 18.9 or 13 litre spring water bottles for use with bottled water coolers. Delivery within 5 working days across UK coverage areas.
- Servicing and Maintenance: Ongoing maintenance services including sanitisation, filter changes, repairs, and parts replacement. Included in rental packages or available as separate service contracts.
- Accessories and Consumables: Sale of accessories including stainless steel refillable bottles (£12.95), branded glass bottles (£11.95-£9.50 per bottle), glass bottle dishwasher racks (£75), and Pura water filters.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free 10-day trial for water dispensers |
| Usage-based | Monthly | Bottled water delivery cost range |
| Subscription | Monthly | Water cooler rental packages |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Stainless steel refillable water bottle |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Glass bottle dishwasher racks |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Branded flip-top glass bottles |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Thirsty Work product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Thirsty Work supplies, installs and maintains workplace water coolers, hot water dispensers, water fountains, bottle filling stations and associated Pura filtration systems to UK businesses. Its offering combines rental and outright purchase of bottled and mains-fed water dispensers with recurring bottled water delivery, 6-monthly sanitisation and ongoing maintenance. The PuraServe sub-brand serves the hospitality sector with premium chilled, boiling and sparkling tap and bottling systems plus branded glass bottles.
Product overview
Thirsty Work is a UK-based supplier of water dispensers and hydration solutions operating a multi-product portfolio. The core offering consists of bottled water coolers (using 18.9 or 13 litre spring water bottles), mains fed water coolers (plumbed-in, filtered), hot water dispensers (instant near-boiling water at 96°C), sparkling water coolers, touchless dispensers, and water fountains/bottle filling stations. The Pura sub-brand serves the hospitality sector with premium tap systems, under-counter bottling systems, and branded glass bottles. Additionally, Thirsty Work resells and services Elkay bottle filling stations and drinking fountains as an approved reseller. All products integrate with the company's Pura filtration systems and are supported by nationwide delivery, installation, and maintenance services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- PuraServe: Hospitality and filtration division of Thirsty Work, providing the highest level of drinking water cooler solutions to the hotel, leisure, conferencing and hospitality industries, and workplaces that demand a high volume of filtered water, fast. Offers options for front and back of house, chilled, boiling and sparkling water, and a wide range of water dispenser accessories and refillable personalised glass bottles.
- Pura
- Elkay
- On-set or site water coolers
Products and services
- Bottled Water Coolers
Quantifiable outcome
- Free trial reduces customer acquisition friction and risk
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Thirsty Work
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments11 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
Thirsty Work technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Thirsty Work partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- ElkaycoreThirsty Work is an approved reseller of Elkay Indoor and Outdoor Water Bottling Systems and Water Fountains. They supply, install, and maintain Elkay products throughout the UK, providing reliable delivery, servicing, parts, filter changes and sanitisation for all Elkay Water Dispensers.
- BOC (British Oxygen Company)minorBOC supplies food-grade CO2 gas (Suregas) for customers choosing sparkling water options. BOC is a national company that can cater for CO2 requirements in multiple sizes.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Thirsty Work competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Aquaid Water Coolers: Aquaid is a UK B2B water cooler and bottled water supplier with a franchise depot model, directly competing with Thirsty Work in office cooler rental, mains-fed dispensers, and bottled water delivery.
- Waterlogic (now part of Culligan): Waterlogic is a global B2B water dispenser and purification company with a strong UK presence, directly competing with Thirsty Work in office cooler rentals, mains-fed dispensers, and filtration services (now operating under the Culligan brand).
- Coolerworks: Coolerworks is a UK-based online retailer of water coolers, dispensers, and bottled water, offering similar product categories (bottled coolers, hot water dispensers, accessories) to Thirsty Work's consumer-facing line.
- Eden Springs UK: Eden Springs is a major European B2B water cooler and bottled water delivery provider with significant UK operations, directly competing with Thirsty Work on rental subscriptions, bottled water delivery, and office hydration.
- Water Coolers Direct: Water Coolers Direct is a UK supplier of bottled and plumbed-in water coolers for home and office, directly overlapping Thirsty Work's product range and customer segments including small businesses and home delivery.
- Vivreau Water Coolers: Vivreau is a UK supplier of premium filtered water dispensers, bottling systems, and glass bottles for offices and hospitality, directly comparable to Thirsty Work's PuraServe hospitality division and mains-fed systems.
Broad incumbents
- Brita UK (Water Filtration): Brita is a global incumbent in water filtration pitchers and cartridges, providing the consumable filter category that Thirsty Work's Pura private-label filters compete against in homes and offices.
- Culligan UK: Culligan is a global incumbent in water treatment and B2B water dispenser rental, offering overlapping bottled and mains-fed cooler rental plus filtration across the UK with a much broader portfolio than Thirsty Work.
- BWT UK (Best Water Technology): BWT is a European water technology incumbent offering dispensers, filtration, and water treatment services to UK businesses and hospitality, competing broadly with Thirsty Work's product portfolio.
Others
- Elkay Manufacturing: Elkay is the US-based manufacturer of indoor and outdoor bottle filling stations and water fountains for which Thirsty Work is an approved UK reseller, providing installation, servicing, and maintenance across the UK.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Thirsty Work social profiles
Digital presenceThirsty Work compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Thirsty Work financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Thirsty Work leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Thirsty Work subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Thirsty Work funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Thirsty Work M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Thirsty Work
What does Thirsty Work do?
Thirsty Work supplies, installs and maintains workplace water coolers, hot water dispensers, water fountains, bottle filling stations and associated Pura filtration systems to UK businesses. Its offering combines rental and outright purchase of bottled and mains-fed water dispensers with recurring bottled water delivery, 6-monthly sanitisation and ongoing maintenance. The PuraServe sub-brand serves the hospitality sector with premium chilled, boiling and sparkling tap and bottling systems plus branded glass bottles.
Is Thirsty Work a public or private company?
Thirsty Work is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Thirsty Work founded?
Thirsty Work was founded in 2000. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Thirsty Work based?
Thirsty Work is headquartered in Exeter, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Thirsty Work make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Water Dispenser Rental is the primary driver. The others are equipment Purchase, bottled Water Delivery, servicing and Maintenance and accessories and Consumables.
Who are Thirsty Work's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Aquaid Water Coolers, Waterlogic (now part of Culligan), Coolerworks, Eden Springs UK, Water Coolers Direct and Vivreau Water Coolers. Broad incumbents are Brita UK (Water Filtration), Culligan UK and BWT UK (Best Water Technology). Elkay Manufacturing is listed as an others.
Does Thirsty Work have an API?
No public API is recorded for Thirsty Work.
What industry is Thirsty Work in?
Thirsty Work's product category is Workplace Water Dispensers and Hydration Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAFACAH, Bulk Bottled Water Production (Large Format, Home/Office Delivery), with a secondary code of CRAJAJAH, Replacement Filter Cartridges & Consumables. Its NAICS code is 312112 and its SIC code is 2080.