science

The Waterwise Project

The Waterwise Project is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand The Waterwise Project rather than just read about it. In short: The Waterwise Project is an independent not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation promoting water efficiency and conservation based in London, UK. The organisation was initially focused on decreasing water consumption in the UK by 2010 and on building a robust evidence base for large-scale water efficiency projects.

Key takeaways

The Waterwise Project belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect The Waterwise Project to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of The Waterwise Project from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Waterwise Project is an independent not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation promoting water efficiency and conservation based in London, UK. The organisation was initially focused on decreasing water consumption in the UK by 2010 and on building a robust evidence base for large-scale water efficiency projects. Waterwise is the UK’s water "efficiency champion" – "reaching the parts others cannot reach, and transform[ing] the concept of water resource efficiency into something compelling for consumers and business users."

Founding and aims Waterwise was established due to concerns of waters shortage and the upward trend in how much water is consumed in the UK. Factors that were taken into account were: current drought situation, geographical and climatological circumstances, consumer tendencies, available resources, and future prospects of supply. The following examples, situations, and comparisons were contemplated:

England has less rainfall than some North African countries. Southern England has experienced one of the driest winters and spring periods since 1904 Low river flows and groundwater levels across Southern England have resulted in environmental problems Groundwater levels are falling and this is particularly so in the chalk aquifers which are very important to Southern England. There have been demographic and social changes: modern lifestyles result in a greater demand for water. There has also been an increase in smaller size households that use proportionally more water. Climate and global warming, as predicted by the UKCIP, is forecast to result in a deficit in soil moisture. This means that agriculture will compete with the water industry for increasingly scarce resources. In 2006, all 26 UK water companies decided to establish an independent organisation which would promote water efficiency. In September 2006, The Waterwise Project was launched to build an evidence base and economic case for water efficiency in the UK. In England, the organisation sits on the Environment Minister’s Water Saving Group, alongside the water industry and regulators.[4] It was established with the stance that the key to water efficiency is reducing waste, not restricting use. Waterwise has an independent Board, which is drawn from the government, regulators, academia, business, other organisations, and from the water industry. The board meets four times a year and is responsible for overseeing Waterwise’s activities and its strategic direction. Waterwise's initial remit ran until September 2010. It has been renewed for an additional five years. Its aim is to decrease per capita consumption in the UK, and to build a strong social, political, and economic case for water efficiency.

Audience and partners Waterwise is effectively a facilitator: its job is to enable, to promote dialogue, to establish a common evidence base and to develop partnerships and share ideas. Waterwise is keen to work with anyone who shares their aim and would welcome everyone’s help. Waterwise works with all sectors of society to promote water efficiency and the wise use of water. To achieve their aims they work with key partners in water companies, governments (local, regional, and national), regulators, farmers, communities, businesses, civil society organisations, manufacturers, retailers, press and media, and individual consumers.

Activities and events Waterwise participates in and leads various projects and events in order to complete their objectives:

Waterwise hosts the only annual Water Efficiency Conference in the UK. The conference brings together policymakers, doers, and thinkers to learns about and further discuss issues related to water efficiency. Waterwise runs the Waterwise Recommended Checkmark. The Checkmark replaces the Marque, which was founded in October 2006 and first awarded in 2007. The Waterwise Recommended Checkmark provides consumers with an ‘at-a-glance’ indicator of a product’s water saving potential. It aims to empower consumers to make water wise purchases. Waterwise works closely with Government departments and regulators in developing policy to further water efficiency. Waterwise teams with UK water companies, universities, local governments, and builders to conduct large-scale water efficiency projects, workshops, and programmes. These projects range from water audits to domestic retrofit schemes to university lectures. Waterwise convenes The Saving Water in Scotland network which brings together key figures in Scotland to discuss and advance water efficiency. Waterwise also provides households, businesses, media, and the government with information on water in the UK and with assistance on water saving. Waterwise has ranked all current UK models of dishwashers and washing machines according to water efficiency. They are working on rankings for showers, toilets, and taps. Waterwise also conducts research related to international water ecolabels, embedded water, water and climate change, and other various other research projects. Waterwise is part of the Blueprint for Water coalition which has laid out a ten step plan for sustainable water. The coalition is composed of Waterwise, The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-UK), Salmon and Trout Association, The Wildlife Trusts, The National Trust, Association of Rivers Trust, Anglers’ Conservation Association, Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, and The Fisheries and Angling Conservation Trust In 2017 Waterwise launched the Water Efficiency Strategy for the UK. Through setting out focused recommendations and actions, this strategy is providing a framework via which Waterwise and the wide Water Industry can drive even more ambitious water efficiency action and ensure future work is focused on key areas.

See also Water conservation Water supply and sanitation in the United Kingdom

References

External links Waterwise Provides information on water in the UK, water efficiency, and water saving tips for households and business. The Blueprint for Water 10 steps for sustainable water in England by 2015. Water Saving Group UK Government led high level group promoting collaborative work on water efficiency. Water UK The industry association that represents all UK water and wastewater service suppliers at the UK and European levels.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with The Waterwise Project

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what The Waterwise Project claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to The Waterwise Project before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about The Waterwise Project ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of The Waterwise Project

In research: The Waterwise Project appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses The Waterwise Project in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: The Waterwise Project is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 2005 establishments in England, Environmental organisations based in London, Environmental organizations established in 2005, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for The Waterwise Project outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study The Waterwise Project in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what The Waterwise Project means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain The Waterwise Project out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is The Waterwise Project in simple terms?

Why does The Waterwise Project matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study The Waterwise Project?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on The Waterwise Project.