Water Literacy

Despite the UK’s rain-drenched reputation, demand for fresh water increasingly outstrips supply. Water is significantly undervalued and arguably should be considered as valuable as oil or carbon. This limited public understanding on the systems involved in bringing water from source to use can result in unnecessary inefficiencies, availability and treatment costs for water companies.
Funded by Ofwat’s Water Breakthrough Challenge, Northumbrian Water, Groundwork East, Waterwise and their partners, are working together to do something about it.
The Water Literacy Programme is here to inspire you, to help you gain knowledge and play your part in addressing the environmental impact of water scarcity in the UK
A drop of knowledge, a wave of change

The Water Literacy Programme has the potential to be more than a course. It’s a movement, driving you to turn a drop of knowledge into a wave of change. You will be equipped with innovative tools, strategies, and the knowhow needed to become accredited as water literate. But you don’t just leave with an accreditation. You will be empowered to lead your colleagues, support your communities, and influence your industry to consciously adopt a sustainable water-use approach. Because our collective actions create ripples, turning into waves of change, reshaping practices, policies, and perceptions of water where you live and work.


This is an accredited learning experience, accessible and action-orientated, delivered across all aspects of the community providing citizens with greater awareness and understanding of the systems involved and techniques to empower positive behaviour changes – at home, in the workplace or in their community – as well as signposting to further learning around water and climate change. Through a day of learning, participants are inspired, motivated and educated to embed change at their organisations, at home, and in their communities.


Further programme details
- Pilot courses are FREE
- Available in England, Scotland and Wales
- Online or in-person sessions, created by water industry experts
- Courses require 7-8 hours of learning
- Modules driven by scientific research
- Multi-media tools and resources to enrich the learning journey
To become accredited Water Literacy, each learn will need to complete an accreditation form within 2 weeks of completing the course, and as the project is a pilot, learners’ feedback is vital to be able to improve the course for future learns. Therefore, we would ask anyone interested in completing this course allow extra time before and after the course to complete a feedback survey.
If you are interested in attending a Water Literacy course, as an individual or as a group, you can book directly through the Water Literacy website or through our Eventbrite page via the buttons below:

