Community Connectors Chippenham

Helping households save water

Through our Home check visits, we have worked with 200 households to help them use less water, save money on their bills and reduce rainwater runoff. This involved sending a water-saving expert to local homes to check and fix leaks and install a water butt.

Delivering water butts to allotment holders

We delivered 110 water butts to allotment holders in partnership with the Allotment Society to help them use less water.

Reducing pharmaceuticals in our waterways

We have funded local GPs and health networks to help reduce the prescription of several pharmaceuticals that could be replaced with greener prescriptions. The aim is to prevent these chemicals from entering our waste network and water supply. Additionally, they are promoting the safe return of unused medicines to prevent them from being flushed down the toilet.

Making sure only rain goes down the drain

Surface water drains at the sides of roads can lead directly to local watercourses. This means anything poured/put down them, such as litter, car oils or shampoo, weedkillers and dirty water, can harm wildlife. To help look after fish, invertebrates and other river life, the Yellowfish Project raises awareness and encourages local communities to ensure only rain goes down these drains.

Creating an environmental project guide

We have created an environmental project guide which contains useful information for local community groups looking to carry out environmental work. The guide covers tree planting and management, and wetland and pond creation.

Training people to monitor watercourses

Through our Water Guardians project, we have been working in partnership with Wiltshire Wildlife Trust to recruit and train local volunteers to monitor watercourses. They help us identify possible pollution incidents and report them for further investigation.

Hello Lamp Post

The local community in Chippenham has told us they want to hear more about how they can save water and what we’re doing to improve the quality of the River Avon and the local environment. So we’ve partnered with Hello Lamp Post to keep people informed.

Across Chippenham we’ve installed a series of signs which the community can use to have a conversation with us about water or wastewater. If you see one, scan the QR code or text the phone number to give it a try!

Raising awareness about the support we offer

We have informed several social support and community groups about the tariffs and support packages we offer to customers who are struggling with their bills. This has enabled them to train their own volunteers and staff so that the community is more widely informed about the range of support available.

Creating an educational map for schools

Alongside our year-round education service, we have created a bespoke education pack with information about the local area using an illustrated map. The map identifies our assets, such as reservoirs and waste treatment centres, along with local points of interest, wildlife and information about the community’s level of water use and wastewater volumes.

Funding other local projects

We have also supported a range of other projects that will help us meet our shared goals agreed with the community. These include community allotment and food growing projects, citizen science volunteering along rivers, installing water refill points to reduce the use of single-use plastic, rainwater harvesting and youth engagement projects to increase awareness amongst young people about the increasing need to save water.