FairWater
Transforming Customers’ Lives: Integrated Pathways to Fair and Sustainable Water (FairWater) is transforming water use through innovative research and partnerships. It aims to create fairer, more sustainable solutions for households.
About FairWater
This project has been partly funded through the Ofwat Water Breakthrough Challenge. It is a collaboration between Newcastle University and a range of project partners, including:
- Northumbrian Water
- National Energy Action (NEA)
- Procter and Gamble (P&G)
- Northern Gas Networks (NGN)
It will explore how small changes in our day-to-day lives can make a big difference to reducing water use and carbon emissions, and saving money on customers’ essential bills.
What are we doing?
We realise that no two individuals use their water in the same way, or have the same choices when it comes to fitting water saving products in their home.
The FairWater team aim to develop solutions tailored to individual circumstances and characteristics.
We look to help Northumbrian Water to understand the most effective and feasible ways to encourage their customers to reduce water use in the home.
In-home testing
We are installing sensors on water using household fixtures and appliances (e.g., taps, toilets, washing machines) in 50 properties across the North East. This allows us to monitor how much water is being used in each household on a daily basis. We are focusing on four key areas:
- laundry
- dishwashing
- toileting
- showering
We are implementing a number of behavioural interventions across three stages of the project. This includes information campaigns, product placement and device installation. Following each stage/intervention we are able to monitor and analyse the impact on water use at a very granular level.
Non-in-home testing
On a wider scale, we have recruited circa 150 participants to engage in a series of research activities, such as
- surveys
- interviews
- focus groups
These activities investigate perspectives on water use in the home. They incorporate a range of different themes that are aligned with the four key areas and the interests and priorities of the research team, such as:
- visualisation of water use
- impact of user feedback
- product preference
- perceptions of hygiene and cleanliness
Why is this important?
The UK is heading for a water shortage. Factors such as climate change and population growth are placing an increasing strain on water supplies. The average individual uses approximately 160 litres of water every day!
Changes to the water-consuming tasks we carry out around the home could make a huge difference to the disparity between supply and demand in the future. The two complementary parts of the project will deliver findings that help to facilitate crucial changes at the individual and household level. They will also inform the wider planning strategies of Northumbrian Water more generally, such as the Water Resource Management Plan.