‘Water efficiency needs a seat at the big table’

Water efficiency needs to be included in discussions around economic growth and housing developments if necessary progress is to be made in driving down consumption.

This is the view of Nicci Russell, managing director of Waterwise, speaking on the ultimate day of the water efficiency organisation’s conference.

Across the week, speakers agreed there was no silver bullet to solving water efficiency challenges but the myriad technologies, actions and interventions together would make a significant impact in the looming shortages crises.

However, Russell, who this week was awarded the Future Water Association’s People Award for driving change in the sector, said despite the efforts made, the issue remained niche.

“Water efficiency needs a seat at the table where the big decisions are made. It’s still a little niche in government and Ofwat, despite the commitment to it.”

She acknowledged the “massive strides” collectively made in government policy in England and across the UK as well as the growing prominence Ofwat has given to the issue.

However, Russell added: “We need it to get the same treatment as leakage, to be discussed when economic growth is being discussed, when housing is being discussed. We absolutely need it not to be a niche issue. I want it to be taken really seriously across government, across the UK and for regulatory frameworks to reflect this importance.”

The conference’s last day was focused on what the next steps need to be to drive down consumption across domestic and business users.

Sophia Goring, corporate communications manager at Business Stream, praised the work by retailers to support customers to use less water, but said there was still a need to have the right incentives in place as well as to remove commercial disincentives such as discounts for higher volume customers.

Consumer groups CCW and Citizens Advice Scotland both highlighted the low awareness and understanding around water resources or why it was important to conserve water.

Ana-Maria Millan, policy manager at CCW, spoke about the watchdog’s research last year into kitchen sink behaviours that gathered qualitative data on usage. Participants had little concept of why water demand was rising or that supplies could run out.

She said the research showed even those participants who recognised that the population continuously grew did not equate this to a threat on water supplies.

Similarly Emma Ash from Citizens Advice Scotland said their work had shown people do not consciously link water use with carbon, despite high levels of interest in lowering carbon emissions.

She said it was essential to educate people: “We need to move from seeing water as something infinite to seeing it as one of Scotland’s most valuable assets.”