How do you change the way people use water?

Design experiences that make saving water easy and enjoyable

Low Water Living, the UK's most significant programme to drive sustainable water consumption, is a joint project by the Design Council and Southern Water, to demonstrate how designers can help people understand and better manage their water consumption. 

As Southern Water embarks on the biggest water meter installation programme in the industry (it will involve nearly 500,000 meters being installed over the next five years and by 2015, 92% of the company’s customers will be on metered charges) the Design Council has helped them collaborate with their customers and expert designers to deliver a service that encourages people to change the way they use water.

South East England is a water stressed area. It has less water available per person than Sudan and Syria. As summers are becoming hotter and drier and our population is increasing, we all need to find a way to reduce the amount of water we use.   

We need new innovative thinking to ensure we look after customers through this programme to help protect resources in the south which is officially classed as a water stressed area. Design plays a vital role in helping us do this, and working with the Design Council will enable us to access the best design skills to help us help our customers. It’s a big step forward for Southern Water and for Britain’s future sustainable water consumption Southern Water