Citizens Forum: Customers’ views on water campaigns
We made a commitment in our 2022/23 Forward Work Programme to use a Citizens Forum to generate and test ideas, as part of our campaign to help people make the connection
between their use of water services at home and water in the natural environment.
The Forum explored the different types of engagement, campaigning and messaging that resonated with people and resulted in action being taken. This forms part of our wider ambition to develop a CCW-led campaign – or series of campaigns – to help people value water, and therefore engage in more considered use of their water and wastewater services.
What we did – creating a communications rulebook
We tested a range of existing and past campaigns around water use and disposal of items down sinks and toilets, in order to get a clearer understanding of what types of campaign were most persuasive, as well as where they were having a limited impact.
This allowed us to produce a communications rulebook alongside the report. It sets out an evaluation framework to determine ‘what works’ for water-saving and wastewater campaigns.
What we found – need for honest, clear and consistent messaging
There is still a widespread lack of awareness when it comes to linking personal water use with the wider environmental impact.
- Most people are unaware of the reason why we need to use less water – including even those familiar with and practicing water-saving behaviours like turning the tap off when cleaning their teeth.
- When seeking to influence specific behaviours – like disposing of wipes as well as fats, oils and greases – most people still do not make the link between their everyday actions at the sink or toilet and sewer blockages and flooding. This needs to be tackled by the water sector when setting out on campaigns to change consumer behaviours.
- More positively, it found water companies do have the credibility to talk directly to their customers about the issues that directly impact their operations and networks, if messaging is sufficiently honest, clear and, wherever possible, consistent.
These findings, together with our communications rulebook, show how water companies can take the lead in reaching out more effectively to a wider audience, helping consumers to understand both how their daily use of these services affects the environment – as well as easy steps they can take to change their behaviour.