Our 2024 summer water-saving campaign, Yes We Cam, has been nominated for Behaviour Change Campaign of the Year as part of the edie Net-Zero Awards.

The edie Net-Zero Awards recognise those driving the transition to a net-zero carbon economy, from ground-breaking innovations to leading carbon reduction programmes and collaborative initiatives.

Last year, we ran our biggest-ever water-saving action, Yes We Cam, where we asked residents across Cambridge to make one small change to their everyday water habits, to help save water for our environment and our local chalk streams.

Thanks to customers’ efforts, more than 1.3 million litres of water was saved every day between July and December 2024, equalling 250 litres of water overall – the same as 3.2 million bath tubs.

On top of this, more than 840,500 kg of CO2 was saved from not treating, pumping or heating this water, the equivalent of boiling the kettle 34 million times.

Why is saving water important?

Cambridgeshire is one of the fastest-growing regions, with industries such as biotechnology and research and development booming, and housing development increasing. However, it is also one of the driest and water-stressed.

Following our hottest June on record this year, customer demand has increased by 30%.

Increased water demand puts pressure on our water sources, all of which are from the same groundwater sources that supply our environment and natural habitats.

What are chalk streams?

Chalk streams are a rare type of river that is fed by groundwater. They are home to a variety of specialised plants and animals, including water voles, otters and kingfishers.

Over 80% of the world’s chalk streams are in the UK, and we have a duty to protect these unique and rare environments.

The more water we all use, the greater the pressure this puts on our aquifers, which in turn places greater pressure on chalk streams.

What else is Cambridge Water doing to save water and reduce carbon emissions?

As well as running behavioural change campaigns like Yes We Cam to connect with customers, we are investing in developing alternative supply options, so that we can improve the resilience of our water supplies. This includes building a 25km water pipeline between Grafham Reservoir to our supply region and building a new reservoir in the Cambridgeshire Fens – both in partnership with Anglian Water.

We have also committed to achieving net zero in carbon emissions by the year 2030, reducing our use of fossil fuels and improving our energy efficiency whilst continuing to provide customers with the means to reduce consumption through metering and water-saving advice.