Essex & Suffolk Water is backing the ‘Love Water′ campaign, which aims to raise awareness of the importance of water and the role everyone plays in protecting it.
Clean, healthy and readily available water is essential for health and wellbeing, as well as economic growth, but as the climate emergency and population growth puts increasing pressure on the water environment, the UK is facing hotter and drier summers and an increased risk of water shortages.
The long-term campaign is being supported by bodies including the Environment Agency, Water UK, Ofwat, NFU and Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT). It will feature events and initiatives, such as beach and river cleans-ups and water saving projects, designed to engage the public and encourage them to enjoy water and the environment.
Many people are not aware that actions like tipping waste liquids down roadside drains, flushing wet wipes or washing up greasy pans in the sink harm wildlife and affect water quality by causing pollution in local rivers, lakes and the sea. The campaign will raise awareness of the small changes people can make to achieve a big difference.
Recently released figures show that Essex & Suffolk Water has reduced leakage across its network to industry leading levels. In 2017/18 the company cut leakage by an amount that is equivalent to 240 Olympic swimming pools per year.
Essex & Suffolk Water operates in the driest region of the UK, so it always encourages customers to use water wisely, and offers lots of support and advice on how to do this.
Louise Hunter, Corporate Affairs Director for Essex & Suffolk Water said: "Water is a precious resource, and we all have a responsibility to preserve resources for future generations. At Northumbrian Water we are doing all we can to reduce leakage across our network, as well as preventing pollution and protecting our rivers and beaches.
We look forward to working with our partners to spread the positive messages of the Love Water campaign that help us to understand the important actions that we can all take to protect our environment."
Local businesses and other organisations will be invited to get involved by supporting the campaign through promotional activity, while pledging to do their bit to save water and protect the environment by reducing pollution and waste.
The campaign′s long-term ambition is to call on businesses to make water-saving and pollution reduction part of their operational and corporate responsibility targets. It is being launched as part of the government′s Year of Green Action which aims to help people to connect with, protect and enhance nature.