Become a Watermark Town
Join the movement to become a Watermark Town to help your community save water and improve the environment.
In 2025 we are working with five town councils across our area to help them achieve Watermark Town status, which we aim to award at the end of 2025.
If you are interested in joining the programme for 2026, please do get in touch at community@wessexwater.co.uk.
Working together to build stronger communities
As a Watermark Town you will lead sustainable water communities, which is good for people, places and the planet.
We support all aspects of life in our region. Safe and reliable water and wastewater services are essential for our day-to-day lives, our wellbeing and our natural world.
But we recognise that we must work together with local communities to help tackle climate and nature emergencies, and respond to the need for carbon neutrality, rising public expectations of the environment, higher living costs and long-term resilience.
We want to build a sustainable future with the support of our customers, communities and stakeholders. We need a world where communities value water and understand their water supply and waste systems so we can protect the environment for all our communities.
Together we are stronger and by choosing to become a Watermark Town you are joining a network of concerned and responsible communities across our region. We want to recognise the efforts of local communities in increasing awareness and taking action for change to save water and protect the local environment.
How to gain Watermark status
To gain Watermark Town status, your town will need to commit to the promotion of the ‘Raising Awareness’ activities and commit to at least three ‘Taking Action’ activities over at least a 12-month period.
This will likely require some local officer time to support, however, we commit to supporting these local campaigns over the initial 12 months.
We will provide:
- local data and information
- 'Watermark Town’ marketing materials bespoke to your local area
- ready-to-go social media content
- funding up to £5,000 for local projects and events for the local community.
Raising Awareness activities
|
Campaign |
What it involves |
How we will help |
|---|---|---|
|
Save Water, Save Money |
Encouraging people to save money |
Providing campaign materials |
|
Bin the Wipe |
Encouraging people to stop using wet wipes that block pipes |
Providing campaign materials |
|
Stop the Block |
Encouraging people to stop putting fats, oils and grease down the drain |
Providing campaign materials |
|
Customer Support |
Creating awareness of the support available for customers who need help with their bills or extra support |
Providing training to local support groups |
|
National Refill Day |
Encouraging people to use fewer single-use plastic bottles by drinking tap water |
Providing campaign materials |
Taking Action activities
|
Campaign |
What it involves |
How we will help |
|---|---|---|
|
Council Resolution |
Committing to becoming a Watermark Status town |
A public demonstration of commitment to lead the change |
|
Rain Savers |
Installing water butts and rain gardens and helping to reduce rainfall run-off |
Providing free water butts and advice |
|
Water Audits |
Holding water-saving interventions at council and community buildings |
Finding and fixing water leaks and preventing wastage |
|
Water Guardians |
Keeping a watchful eye on local waterways and spotting pollutions |
Working in partnerships with local Wildlife Trusts |
|
Water Drop-Ins |
A regular time for customers to meet Wessex Water in person in their community |
Sessions provided by Wessex Water |
|
Only Rain Down the Drain |
National Yellowfish campaign to let people know which public drains lead directly to rivers and waterways |
Providing campaign materials for community action |
|
Education Service |
Signing local schools up for a free education visit |
Our Education Advisers will provide free sessions |
|
Water Refill Points |
Installing your own public water refill point |
Providing advice to help reduce single-use plastics |
How to get involved
If you would like to get involved, please email us at community@wessexwater.co.uk
