Veolia Water Education Services - BCE Awards 2012 - Engagement Premier Award Winner
Veolia Water UK has been supplying drinking water to over three million consumers in the South East of England since the late 1980s and, more recently, commercial, water-related services throughout the UK. The company has over 2,000 employees; turnover in 2010/11 was £407 million.
Southeast England has the largest ecological footprint per person of all UK regions, yet receives less rainfall per head than Syria. Classified by the Environment Agency as 'seriously water stressed', the area is predicted to become drier by 2025, while its population will grow by 0.5 million to 8.9 million placing enormous strains on water supplies. Moreover, consumers in Veolia Water's largest supply area bordering London (relatively affluent, growing population) have the highest demand for water in the driest part of the UK. Driving down consumption is essential and one way of achieving this is to influence the next generation of consumers to develop more responsible habits.
Veolia Water began investing in education to promote water efficiency in 1998. A team of trained and experienced teachers based in Bushey started by supporting local schools with a water efficiency programme. The programme has since evolved into a business-critical objective that delivers sustainable water savings.