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| Waterwise enews – May 2009 | |
| Welcome from Jacob Tompkins, Managing Director of Waterwise | |
 Spring is finally here, I hope you are looking forward to the summer as much as we are. Our annual Waterwise water efficiency conference was held in Oxford last week, and yet again we sold out and have had a brilliant response from delegates and sponsors. Our research team has been very busy producing the ‘The Water and Energy Implications of Bathing and Showering Behaviour’ and our policy team have released our UK and EU Manifestos for the political parties at the next general election and the European elections. Meanwhile the Communications team have been working closely with the media and planning a national water efficiency campaign.Recently, there has been a lot of interest in the overlap between water and energy. We are planning pilot schemes to deliver joint water and energy as part of a Waterwise/Energy Saving Trust LIFE project. We are also looking to build links between water companies and energy companies to deliver joint retrofits. |
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| The annual Waterwise water efficiency conference 2009 |
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 The annual Waterwise water efficiency conference, sponsored by GROHE, took place on 15 - 16 April 2009 at Keble College, Oxford. The conference was part of UNESCO’s World Water Day events programme, and focused on the practical delivery of water efficiency. It brought together policy makers, doers and thinkers, with speakers from the construction industry, water companies, local and national governments, housing associations, regulators and NGO’s, and delegates with water efficiency expertise from across a wide range of disciplines. Presentations and photos from the conference are now available
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| Joint water company campaign |
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| Waterwise in conjunction with Talisman Communications, the Energy Saving Trust and ten water companies will be launching a campaign this summer to urge the public to reduce the amount of time they spend in the shower. The key objective is to persuade people to use less hot water, resulting in them saving water, energy and money and reducing the stress on the UK’s water supplies. Saving water and energy will reduce people's carbon footprint in the battle against global warming. In a year when climate change is increasingly under the spotlight hopefully it can only enhance the public’s perception of the water industry if it is being seen to work together to promote actions which will tackle this high profile issue. If you are interested in taking part in this campaign please contact us. |
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| Waterwise Marque - new products awarded | |
 March saw Waterwise judge the latest round of Waterwise Marque applications. 26 new products were awarded the Marque, making the total number of products with the award 50. Products with the Marque now range from showerheads and toilets, to waterbutts, 2-way bath plugs and water efficient fire-sprinkler systems. The next round of Marque applications is now open - please contact us for an application form. |
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| UK and EU manifestos | |
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Waterwise has launched its manifesto for the UK general election, calling on whichever party forms the next government to make sure that water efficiency is mainstreamed alongside energy efficiency, and that homes and businesses in the future are climate resilient, so that less water goes further, as well as not contributing to climate change themselves. Waterwise is also calling on the government to provide incentives to water companies to make sure homes and businesses are wasting less water, and to make it cheaper and easier for us all to buy products which don’t waste water. |
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| New staff update | |
| Waterwise is pleased to announce that we have three new members of staff. Clare Watters has taken over from Andrew Pitt as our Waterwise East Coordinator. Ike Omambala started in March and is our technical research manager working specifically on the second phase of our Evidence Base for Large-scale Water Efficiency and Gaetane Suzenet also started in March as our Operations Director. To see contact details - please click here |
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| savewater! awards | |
 Waterwise proudly supports the 2009 savewater! awards® in Australia. If you have a water saving product click here to read more. We are supporting the International Products Innovation Award category. |
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| Preston water efficiency project | |
 The Preston Initiative succeeded in reducing water demand in social housing. The ground breaking project was a partnership between the Government of the South East, Reigate and Banstead Council, Raven Housing Trust, Sutton and East Surrey Water, the Environment Agency, Surrey County Council and Waterwise. |
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 Waterwise, with the support of the Energy Saving Trust, has conducted a desk review of all available data and reports relating to water and energy use due to personal washing in the home. The report reviews the evidence for baths and showers and makes suggestions based on identified policy, research, and retro-fit gaps and opportunities. |
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| Saving Water in Scotland network | |
| On 27th February, Waterwise and Waterwatch Scotland co-convened the 4th Saving Water in Scotland network meeting, in Edinburgh. |
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| Environment Agency's water efficiency awards 2009 | |
 The Environment Agency Water Efficiency Awards, sponsored by Defra, the Food and Drink Federation and OFWAT are the leading scheme in England and Wales to recognise the achievements of organisations in promoting water efficiency. The Awards are in their ninth year and are held biennially. Click here for more details |
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| Events | |
| 19 - 21 May 2009, Sustainability Live, Birmingham NEC 28 - 29 May 2009 - Corporate Water Footprinting, London 10 June 2009 - Climate change and the water sector |