Established in 2005 by the UK water industry because of concern over droughts, Waterwise has an independent board and sits on the Environment Minister’s Water Saving Group, alongside the industry and its regulators. The organisation’s remit is simple: to promote water efficiency and campaign for a less wasteful UK by 2010.

So what exactly is the problem? Well, each person in the UK currently uses around 150 litres of water every day – and according to Waterwise, this figure has been rising by approximately 1% a year since 1930. Unsurprisingly, the NGO argues our current rate of consumption is unsustainable. Water is scarce in parts of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England, and the UK has less available water per person than most other European countries. According to Save the Rain, a campaign to preserve rainwater in the UK, London is drier than Istanbul and England’s South East has less water available per person than the Sudan and Syria.

But while water availability is increasingly scarce, water waste is not. Notwithstanding the much-publicised wastage of utility companies like Thames Water, Waterwise estimates around a third of the water we use at home is wasted.

Accordingly, the organisation is campaigning for water efficiency at industry level as well as at home. But how does this work in practice?

“Waterwise does everything from politics to PR with a big dose of research thrown in,” says Jacob. “We do a lot of work with the UK water companies and there are currently a lot of pilot projects looking at providing people with kit to reduce their water use, like aerated shower heads or low flush toilets. We work closely with government to try and shape legislation to make water efficiency easier, and we are currently pushing for reduced VAT on water efficient products.”

Waterwise is also a key player in Future Friendly – a partnership between Ariel, Lenor, Fairy and Flash, and sustainability experts including Waterwise, our good selves, the Energy Saving Trust and Waste Watch, to promote sustainability in everyday life.

“We believe that consumers are green at heart and want to do the right thing,” says Jacob. “We all use about 150 litres of water a day and about a quarter of this is used for clothes washing and cleaning. So we were keen to link up with a number of high profile brands and other NGOs to help people make small changes in their daily lives, as together we can make a big difference.”

And it’s this practical approach to water efficiency that’s at the heart of the Waterwise campaign.

“The average family has about half a tonne of water delivered to their house and taken away every day,” says Jacob. “Pumping and cleaning this water and wastewater uses a lot of energy. Also, heating water in the house can account for about 40% of domestic energy use. So simple actions like turning the tap of when you brush your teeth, using a full load in the washing machine or knocking a minute off your shower can save water, money and energy.”

“In the long term, we believe that behaviour change coupled with new water saving products and water efficient buildings, and active promotion of large scale water efficiency by water companies, energy companies, local government and others, will result in sustainable water use,” he adds. “Similar campaigns in Germany, Belgium and Spain have reduced consumption by as much as 50% without adverse affects. If they can do it, so can we.”

For more on Waterwise, click here. And for more on Future Friendly, click here.