With 2026 now in full swing, we’ve caught up with some members of the Waterwise team to hear their water-saving intentions for the year ahead.
January often comes with unrealistic expectations of cutting out all treats, running every morning, or completely reinventing ourselves overnight. But what if, instead, we focused on small, achievable changes that are good for the planet and can save us money?
Although we try to practise what we preach at Waterwise, we’re definitely not perfect. And like everyone, our team members have areas where they’d like to improve when it comes to using water wisely. So we thought we’d share some of our personal water resolutions for 2026, hopefully they might spark a few ideas you could try too!
Chloe
“We moved into our house about three years ago and started renovations from the inside out. By the end of last summer, we were finally able to remove the fake grass in the garden and replace it with real grass to better support the natural environment. And I am excited to take steps towards making our garden more water-wise this year!”
“For 2026, my water resolution is to install a water butt in the garden. Glasgow gets plenty of rain, so this will allow us to collect and reuse rainwater for watering the lawn and plants, which I plan to plant, reducing our reliance on tap water. Small actions like this, combined with maintaining an environmentally friendly garden, feel like an easy and practical way to save water while supporting biodiversity right outside our door.”
Jo
“Over the last few years we’ve been recording our home water use and tracking it though our sustainability reporting at Waterwise. Each home is different and we all have different circumstances (no teenagers to hog the shower in our house!).”
“This year I noticed that while we are pretty good at using water wisely, the last few years we have been pretty much settled in at around 70 litres per person (there are two people in my home). We have a water meter, but not yet a smart one (looking forward to seeing these rolled out more widely). So this year I’m going to commit to tracking it myself each month and seeing what our use has been, chatting about it and seeing if we think of additional things we could do to help bring it down a bit more. It will be interesting to see how our use changes during the seasons.”
Chris
“My partner and I bought our first home at the end of 2025, so my water resolution for 2026 is to learn to live in our new home in a more water-wise way right from the start. It’s a new-build house, which comes with lots of sustainability features (yay!) so I’m making an effort to understand these features and adapt my habits to make the most of them. For example, we had energy-efficient appliances installed, so I have read the manuals for things like the dishwasher and washing machine to understand which cycles are more water and energy-efficient.”
“As we settle in and slowly furnish our house, I will be looking to buy second-hand furniture where possible. This will reduce the large ‘virtual’ water footprint from buying new furniture (see our blog on virtual water footprint). I’m planning to install a water butt in the spring so we can reuse rainwater in the garden. I’d also like to make a regular habit of checking my home for leaks, which will allow any silent leaks to be spotted before they become a problem! Overall, in 2026 I want to add these small habits into my routine in my new home, so that I can save water (and save money!) in the long run.”
Tamara
“We moved house recently and inherited older fittings and integrated kitchen appliances. These are probably much less efficient than the newer efficient fittings and appliances I previously had. Therefore, I plan to alter my behaviour to ensure I am really efficient in my use of water; using the washing line to air clothes that aren’t dirty, turning over duvet covers before washing, and only full dishwasher and washing machine loads.”
“We’ve started pushing the mixer taps half, not fully, open to only get the amount of water we need for hand washing and just enough to signal to the boiler the need for hot water, plus we will turn them back to cold to stop the boiler kicking in next time they are turned on to save energy. As we update the house we will install the most efficient fittings and appliances we can afford, and am looking forward to the Mandatory Water Efficiency Labelling Scheme due to be launched this year which will really help!”
So where should I start?
If you’re feeling inspired to set your own water-wise intentions for 2026, we’ve got plenty of support to get you started. From practical guides and tips on saving water at home, to campaigns such as Water Saving Week, and even a calculator to work out how much water you’re using and where you could cut back – we’ve got something for everyone.
Want to dive a bit deeper? We’re running a free webinar on the 5th of February 2026, over 1 hour, we’ll share expert tips and actionable tricks that will help you conserve water at home and begin your water saving journey! Learn more and sign up for free here.
Here’s to a water-wise 2026!
