Getting people to drink more water at work isn’t about nagging. It’s about removing friction, creating cues, and making hydration feel less like a chore and more like a natural part of the day. Most people know they should be drinking more waterthey just forget. Or get bored. Or don’t want to leave their desk. Here are a few simple ways to help turn good intentions into daily habits.

Create a Culture of Water Visibility

Out of sight, out of mind. That’s one of the biggest reasons people don’t hydrate enough at work. If your water dispensers are tucked away in a kitchen no one visits, they won’t get used. Place water stations in hightraffic areas, near desks, meeting rooms, or common spaces. The more visible they are, the more likely people are to refill without thinking twice.

You can also normalize water breaks. Encourage leaders to model the habit of grabbing a refill before a meeting or showing up with a bottle in hand. These small actions help set a tone where hydration isn’t a side note. It’s just part of how your team rolls.

→ Why Workplace Hydration Matters More Than You Think

Use Nudges: Trackers, Group Goals, Bottles

Sometimes a little motivation goes a long way. Watertracking apps, digital reminders, or even Slack shoutouts can help make hydration feel more intentional. Try setting up friendly group goals: “Let’s all hit 1.5L before lunch today.” Or make it fun with themed bottle giveaways or mini challenges.

Another low-effort nudge? Provide branded reusable bottles to make water more portable. When everyone’s walking around with a bottle in hand, hydration becomes a shared normnot just a personal goal.

→ How Workplace Hydration Impacts Employee Retention and Satisfaction

Make Better-Tasting Options Available

Let’s be honestsometimes people don’t want water because they’re bored of how it tastes. Offering flavored options can make a huge difference. Whether it’s fruitinfused water or sparkling flavored options, variety adds appeal.

This works especially well for people trying to cut back on sugary drinks. If water feels like a satisfying alternative instead of a compromise, people are much more likely to stick with it.

→ Explore more: Flavored Water: The Secret to Boosting Hydration at Work

Remove Barriers to Access

Sometimes it’s not the lack of motivation that holds people backit’s small, avoidable inconveniences. Are your water stations easy to find and always stocked? Are there clean cups or reusable bottles available nearby?

Even small things, like having to walk too far or waiting in line for a slow dispenser, can discourage people from refilling. Think about ways to remove those tiny bits of friction so that staying hydrated feels effortless.

Tie Hydration to Other Wellness Initiatives

If your office already promotes wellness through step challenges, healthy snacks, or mindfulness sessions, hydration can naturally slot in. Make it part of the same conversation.

For example, during a wellness month campaign, include hydration goals alongside physical activity. Or highlight the connection between water intake and energy in any health-related internal comms. It’s a small addition that reinforces hydration as a foundational part of overall well-being.

Celebrate Progress Publicly

People like to feel seen, especially when they’re building good habits. Shouting out “hydration champions” in a team meeting or sharing fun stats about water intake on Slack helps reinforce the behavior and makes it feel more communal.

You could also host occasional hydration challenges with lighthearted prizes or friendly competition between departments. It doesn’t need to be overdonejust enough to keep things fun and visible.

If your office uses Aquablu, you can even showcase the environmental impact. Each Aquablu dispenser includes an Impact Report that tracks how many plastic bottles your team has saved. Sharing those numbers gives people a tangible sense of progress and purposeand a reminder that their daily water habits are making a difference beyond the office walls.

Hydration as a Workplace Perk

Sometimes it helps to reframe hydration not as a task, but as a benefit. Offering filtered water, sparkling options, or fun flavors makes hydration feel like a small but meaningful perk.

In an office where flavored water is the norm, not soda or endless coffee-people are more likely to stick with the habit. It’s better for them and better for the company too.

→ How Workplace Hydration Impacts Employee Satisfaction and Retention

Hydration habits don’t happen by accident. But they don’t need to be hard either. Make water easy to see, easy to reach, and more enjoyable to drinkand your team will do the rest.

Want to attract the next generation of top talent?

Hydration is just one piece of the puzzle. Explore what Gen Z really wants from a workplace—and how to build an environment they’ll love showing up to.

Download our guide: Creating a Gen Z Attractive Workplace