THE NUMBERS BEHIND THE SHIFT
The generation now entering the workforce in the largest numbers is already choosing differently. Only 26% of Gen Z drinks coffee daily [1], compared to significantly higher rates among Millennials and Gen X. And when they do drink it, they want it to do more: 65% of Gen Z coffee drinkers prefer beverages with functional benefits [2] like cognitive support, immunity, or stress relief over plain caffeine. Half of Gen Z has replaced caffeinated or sugary drinks with functional alternatives altogether [3]. The demand isn't disappearing. It's shifting toward drinks that do something specific and hydrating flavors that fight fatigue.
Water vs Coffee: Which Is Better for Vitality and Productivity?
Break it down by what matters to a modern office, and the reason for the shift becomes clear.
Why People Drink Coffee Out of Habit
Up to 80% of the workforce is chronically under-hydrated on any given day [4]. That matters because even 1% dehydration reduces cognitive performance by up to 12% [5]. Coffee, the default office drink, compounds the problem: caffeine is a mild diuretic, and three cups a day without matching water intake pushes hydration further in the wrong direction. Add the sugar, milk, and syrups in most office coffee drinks and you're also adding calories without nutritional benefit. A standard cappuccino with whole milk contains around 39 calories, 2.9g of fat, and 2.9g of carbohydrates per cup. Water contains zero.
Drinking more than two or three cups a day can increase anxiety, disrupt sleep, and cause headaches on days when consumption drops. For most office workers, the afternoon slump they're solving with a fourth coffee would respond better to a glass of water.
Modern water dispensers go further than plain tap water. Filtered water with functional additions like vitamins, electrolytes, or natural flavors gives employees a reason to reach for water instead of defaulting to the coffee machine. People choose based on what they need in the moment: focus, immunity, energy. That's a different relationship with hydration than filling a mug just to bulldoze through the grind.
The Benefits of Water for Health and Productivity
Staying hydrated has a direct, measurable impact on how people work. A University of East London study found that drinking water increased productivity by 14% [6]. At just 3% dehydration, reaction time slows to the equivalent of a 0.08% blood alcohol level. For a team of 50, closing that hydration gap is the equivalent output of seven additional employees, without hiring anyone.
Coffee gives a short spike, then a crash. A meta-analysis found that high caffeine intake, 400mg+ per day or roughly four cups, significantly increases the risk of anxiety [7], undermining the focus that sustained productivity requires. For facility managers weighing which infrastructure supports performance across a full workday, the math favors water.
The Environmental Impact of Coffee in the Workplace
Coffee infrastructure is expensive in ways that don't always show up on one invoice. Beans, milk, sugar, cups, stirrers, machine maintenance, descaling, service contracts. Industry benchmarks put the cost of office coffee service at €70–€160 per employee per year [8]. For a mid-sized office of 50, that's €3,500–€8,000 annually on coffee supplies alone, before you account for the machine lease or purchase.
A water dispenser connected to the existing tap water line strips out most of those recurring costs. No beans, no milk, no stirrers, no descaling. The ongoing cost is limited to periodic filter replacements and flavor refills. For the same office of 50, total beverage infrastructure spend can drop by half or more, while serving a wider range of what employees are already reaching for.
Can Coffee Become More Sustainable?
Coffee has a long supply chain: farming, processing, international shipping, packaging. Every kilogram of roasted coffee generates roughly 15kg of CO₂ before it reaches your office.
A water dispenser connected to the tap shortens that chain dramatically. No bean shipments, no milk deliveries, no daily packaging waste. The supply footprint shrinks to periodic filter replacements and flavor refills. It also reduces the need for multiple systems: no bottles, no cans, no plastic. One tap point replaces a patchwork of suppliers and waste streams. For organizations reporting on sustainability targets, that's a measurable difference from a single infrastructure decision.
The goal isn't to ban coffee. It's to rebalance the default. When the easiest option in the kitchen is filtered water with flavors people enjoy, consumption patterns shift on their own.
The Effect of Coffee on Health
The coffee machine has long been the social hub of the office. But that's about location and ritual, not about coffee specifically. A well-placed office water cooler creates the same effect: people gather, pause, and talk. The benefits of a water cooler in the office go beyond hydration: they walk away refreshed rather than wired.
"Thanks to the Aquablu dispenser, we notice that people drink less coffee and more water. Individuals choose their preferred flavor and vitamin combination depending on their need-state. For example, when they need more focus or want to strengthen their immunity, they choose their drink accordingly." — Rob Jansen, CEO, Chain Logistics
When employees can personalize what they drink based on how they feel, the water point becomes more than a utility. It becomes part of how the office takes care of its people.
Conclusion: Time for a More Sustainable Drinking Choice
The shift from coffee-first to hydration-first offices isn't a fad. It tracks with broader moves toward employee wellbeing, lower operational costs, and measurable sustainability improvements. Facility managers who've made the switch report lower beverage spend, less waste, and teams that stay sharper through the afternoon.
Water dispensers like REFILL+ Series 2 represent what this looks like in practice: filtered water from the tap, functional flavors, and a system designed for high-traffic office environments. No bottles. No pods. No waste. Just water that people choose to drink.
See how it works for your office →
SOURCES
[1] Gen Z coffee consumption in the U.S. — Statista [2] Gen Z demands functional benefits in coffee and tea — Food Navigator USA [3] Gen Z beverage trends — Opeepl [4] The hidden cost of dehydration in the workplace — Quench/Culligan [5] Effectiveness of a water intake program at the workplace — National Library of Medicine [6] 14% faster: the truth about hydration — University of East London via Bevi [7] Caffeine intake and anxiety: a meta-analysis — PMC [8] How much does office coffee service cost? — 360Connect
