Thames Water names Swindon UK’s most ‘water conscious’ town

Swindon has been named the UK's most 'water conscious' town by Thames Water as it launches its interactive water calculator in a bid to encourage people to save water.


The interactive Waterwisely tool, which allows users to calculate and reduce water use and maps the most water-efficient places in the UK, was unveiled last week (26 August), in a bid to encourage people to save water. It also supports Swindon’s ‘Save Water’ campaign which was set up after the area was classed as ‘seriously water-stressed’.

Thames Water, WWF and Waterwise hope the campaign will help limit the amount of water Swindon takes from the River Kennet and River Thames, which are struggling to cope with increased supply demands.

WWF-UK’s freshwater programme manager, Rose Timlett, said: ”The River Kennet and the River Thames are the source of Swindon’s water supply. Already these rivers are feeling the pressure from a high demand for water. As Swindon gets bigger and the climate changes it’s even more important that we reduce the amount of water we take.

”Working with Thames Water and Waterwise, we have started the journey of helping people identify ways to use water more efficiently in their homes. By saving water, we can all help leave more water in our rivers – which is great news for local wildlife.”

According to a national survey of 1,800 people by Thames Water, Swindon was rated the most water-efficient after 100% of respondents said they would feel guilty about wasting water and consciously try to save water in the home, in comparison 82% of people nationally said they try to save water.

Thames Water said the campaign has helped Swindon reduce its water use by around 130,000 litres a day and aims to further reduce water use by one million litres a day by 2014.

Thames Water’s director of sustainability, Richard Aylard, said: ”We’re really encouraged that Swindonians are already so ‘water conscious’. To make saving water even easier, we’ve developed Waterwisely, where visitors can get a personal report and tailored advice to suit their needs – while having a bit of fun exploring the town.”

Carys Matthews

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