Bigger water users, including in the public sector, are seeing broad benefits from a 2026 water stewardship programme delivered through new collaborative action.
The Challenge
Water scarcity risks in the UK, sustainability targets and additional reporting requirements are all additional factors that bigger organisations have to consider.
Building operational resilience, while improving efficiencies are also elements that need balancing, with proactive water management and water stewardship opening up further opportunities in both these areas.
The Solution
Business water retailer Water Plus engaged a variety of UK organisations around the water stewardship programme, delivered by Ireland-based 20FIFTY Partners, with funding from water wholesalers United Utilities and Northumbrian Water.
The collaborative initiative is helping to accelerate water efficiencies amongst larger water users, supporting their sustainability targets and helping tackle UK water scarcity risks ahead.
Interactive workshops, peer to peer learning and assignments to help with the development of a Water Stewardship Charter, were all parts of the programme.
It’s developing technical skills around water mapping and conservation and a focus on building site-specific strategies to accelerate continuous improvement.
And completing the activity sees organisations receive certification and a digital badge to illustrate the commitment to responsible practices.
The Results
Amongst those seeing benefits and results in 2026 is Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust and Stockport NHS Foundation Trust.
Dr Ekaete Utuk, Energy & Waste Compliance Officer at Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The content was comprehensive with practical assignments to develop and improve the organisation water strategy and business case.
“It has certainly helped with reviewing our water metering strategy, so we can improve water monitoring and targeting and I look forward to the follow up support.”
In Water Plus’s ongoing customer engagement, its collaborative industry action also saw 100 leak spotters provided to Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust and 100 leak spotters for Stockport NHS Foundation Trust.
The leak spotters provided to the trusts are strips that can be placed in toilets to detect silent leaks and were funded by the regional wholesaler United Utilities.
The two trusts are also adding data loggers onto water meters, in their proactive water management approach with Water Plus. It’s part of steps by the Trusts to further build operational resilience and identify more efficiency opportunities, with daily water data feeding into an analysis portal from the loggers.
Additional information:
Further detail on the Joint Green Plan for the two hospital trusts, which runs to 2028 at: www.tamesideandglossopicft.nhs.uk/about-us/sustainability
For the emissions the Trusts control directly (the NHS Carbon Footprint), their Joint Green Plan sets out the Trusts will reach net zero by 2040, with an ambition to reach an 80% reduction by 2028 to 2032.
For the emissions the Trusts can influence (the NHS Carbon Footprint Plus), their Joint Green Plan sets out the Trusts will reach net zero by 2045, with an ambition to reach an 80% reduction by 2036 to 2039.
Water Plus, which is the largest water retailer in the UK, won a UK Customer Satisfaction Award in 2025, from best practice leaders for work with customers around water management and boosting water savings. It’s also a finalist for two UK Customer Satisfaction Awards in 2026, for the awards run by best practice leaders the Institute of Customer Service.
