About us

What is Waterwise?

Waterwise is a UK NGO focused on decreasing water consumption in the UK and building the evidence base for large scale water efficiency. We are the leading authority on water efficiency in the UK.

Waterwise is an independent, not for profit organisation that receives funding from the UK water industry and from sponsorship and consultancy work. In England, we sat on the Environment Minister’s Water Saving Group alongside the water industry and regulators. Waterwise set up the Saving Water in Scotland Network.

Waterwise is committed to sustainable development not only in the measures and behaviour it lobbies for and espouses, but also in its own operations, projects, programmes and events. As such, we are committed to the following sustainability principles/measures outlined in themes and events. 

What do we do?

Waterwise works on every aspect of water efficiency, from retrofits, policy influencing, research, to publicity campaigns, events, media engagement and product development.

• We hold the only Annual Water Efficiency Conference in the UK which brings together the leading policy makers, doers and thinkers on water efficiency, both as speakers and participants to discuss water efficiency. We are also co-running the UK Water Efficiency Awards with the Environment Agency.
• Our Evidence Base helps water companies identify the most effective approaches to water efficiency retrofit programmes. 
• We founded the Waterwise Marque in October 2006, which is the first award scheme of its kind in the UK. This scheme has now evolved into the Waterwise Recommended Checkmark, which is awarded to water-using products which highlight water efficiency or reduce water wastage.
• We have set up a Scottish roundtable on water efficiency, consisting of key players such as regulators, the water industry, parliamentarians, the Scottish Executive and NGOs and supported by a new water efficiency network, ‘Saving Water in Scotland’ (SWS) to reduce water consumption in Scotland.
• The Saving Water Advocacy Network (SWAN), founded and led by Waterwise, is a broad coalition of water companies, NGOs, and government agencies that have joined up to raise the profile of water efficiency in the UK.
• We work with UK water companies on large-scale water efficiency projects which range from water audits to domestic retrofit schemes, such as our Tap into Savings programme. We provide information and assistance to households, businesses, media and the government amongst others by participating and leading campaigns that highlight and reinforce water efficient behaviours.

Who do we work with?

To achieve our aim we work together with key partners in the water companies, governments (UK, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and local governments), manufacturers, retailers, NGOs, environmentalists, regulators, agriculture, business, domestic consumers and the media.