Our work

Since 2005 we have been developing and delivering a broad range of water efficiency activities. We develop and deliver a broad range of cross-cutting water efficiency initiatives. Much of what we do is in partnership with others, and we undertake our own work, too. For more information, continue reading and explore the menu at left.

Raising awareness and influencing behaviour

We strive to raise the profile of water efficiency in the UK and beyond. There's a long way to go: according to the 2010 British Social Attitudes survey, only 32% of people always/often choose to save/re-use water.

Raising awareness includes working with the media – writing articles, issuing press releases and commenting on newsworthy events – as well as campaigning for things like Fairness on Tap, and delivering projects that help households save water and money like in Tap into Savings.

We, with the Energy Saving Trust, recently wrapped up a water and energy advice project called RENEW, as part of the EU Life+ Project – have a look at some of the great videos we made.

Working with governments

The Government published its White Paper on water, Water for Life, in December 2011; in it, Government recognises the important role that water efficiency has to play in our move toward a better system of water management.

Waterwise works with local, regional and national governments to improve policies and regulations that influence the use of water. One way we do this is through facilitating exchange between stakeholders, like through the Saving Water in Scotland Network. We also regularly contribute to policy discussions, comment on consultations, and help in other ways to improve the framework for delivery of water efficiency country-wide. We do policy work at the European level, too.

Building and disseminating knowledge

We build and disseminate knowledge in many ways, including conducting our own research, translating research into action and disseminating knowledge at events, such as our Annual Waterwise Water Efficiency Conference. We disseminate all the research that we do, including our Evidence Base programme, in order to help water companies, local councils, housing providers, governments and others use water wisely – and help them to help others do the same. We also provide services, such as training, to help build other people's knowledge and capacity.

Challenging the status quo

We like to be at the front, leading and supporting innovative efforts to help realize our mission, that water will be used wisely, every day, everywhere.

In addition to research and on-the-ground delivery projects, we work on rigorously evaluated innovative approaches to ensuring that water efficiency is integral to everyone's life; for example, in 2011 we managed to bring together a sector-wide group of water companies, government agencies and third-sector organisations in order to collectively, nationally raise the profile of water efficiency (read more on SWAN).

Earlier in 2011, along with WWF, UNISON, CIWEM and a coalition of others, called for a fair deal for water for both customers and the environment (Fairness on Tap). And in 2007 we published one of the first reports targeted at general audiences in the UK to raise awareness of embedded water, which is now an issue (most often called virtual water) of global importance.

Have a look around our website to learn more about how we help people and organisations get water wise.