Flowing in the right direction: Water use in the public sector (2019)

Water efficiency may not have received a great deal of attention in recent years, but it provides the chance for the public sector to dramatically lower existing costs and contribute to their sustainability goals. 

With an estimated 5.39 million people employed across the UK public sector, and countless more using their services, the sheer volume of users highlights the opportunity that water management offers for organisations to make a difference in driving efficiency, sustainability and lowering costs in the long-term. 

We want to highlight how change can be delivered. Our independent research study has generated a snapshot of how people working across the public sector, and other businesses, are currently using water, how their attitudes to using water are changing and what initiatives and programmes are in place to reduce consumption. 

The results paint a picture of a public sector workforce (along with its private sector equivalent) more in tune with its environmental responsibilities, but not acting with the same sustainable vigour as at home. The clear challenge for utility managers will be to harness the potential to inspire behaviour change and identify areas where significant savings can be made. 

As well as providing insight into the mindset of people in your organisations and communities, I hope you find the findings in this report useful in your thinking around your own water management strategy – whether that is simply monitoring and managing your utilities infrastructure more effectively or engaging with those who use it to ensure they do so in a better, more conscientious way. 

It’s our ambition to create a more effective, water-efficient and innovative water market in the UK. Partnering with organisations in the public sector, we can do just that. 

Andy Hughes Chief executive officer, Water Plus