Summary
Strategies for balancing supply and demand while improving efficiency and accessibility by driving behavioural change in water efficiency. This challenge focuses on initiatives that motivate people to use less water, reduce pressure on stressed resources, and build a long‑term social contract around water use.
The Challenge
Water demand remains high while supplies are under increasing stress. Changing behaviour is a crucial route to improving water efficiency, but progress is limited by inconsistent messaging, limited data, and barriers to trust.
This challenge aims to:
- Drive behavioural change in water efficiency
- Interface with the OFWAT campaign and work of Waterwise
- Link water efficiency to climate change and social impact (e.g., Gen Z)
- Contribute to forging a social contract
- Support informing and educating the next generation
- Create a baseline water usage data sample to understand starting points and track progress
- Tailor campaigns to suit local situations
- Mobilise communities to support locally
- Develop sub-projects to engage specific groups, areas or themes
Potential Impact
- Reduction in water consumption and wastewater volumes — a “double win”
- Relieving pressure on stressed water supplies
- Energy benefits from reduced water heating
- Creation of consistent baseline usage data to support evidence‑based planning
Barriers to Progress
- Water industry reputation and trust (need for de‑badging)
- Lack of smart metering to incentivise behaviour change
- Lack of educational initiatives (e.g., Wastebuster, Water Week)
- Lack of clear and consistent data to evidence benefits (e.g., trial towns)
- Lack of national and regional leadership
Timeframe
Long‑term (18+ months)
Call to Action
Members are encouraged to:
- Submit ideas on campaigns, tools, or initiatives that encourage water‑efficient behaviour
- Identify existing resources such as information on the cost savings of using less water
- Highlight relevant approaches and methods from other domains
- Endorse promising ideas contributed by others
- Comment with insights on barriers such as trust, metering, messaging, or leadership gaps
- Join a project team in the next stage to co‑develop locally tailored initiatives and build the wider “Make Water Count” programme