Only one in ten adults in England and Wales understand how much water they use each day, according to research released to mark the launch of a major new campaign aimed at changing the nation's relationship with water.

The Let's Save Water initiative, unveiled today, brings together scientists, environmental experts and industry leaders who warn that climate change, population growth and rising demand are placing increasing strain on water resources. England faces a projected daily shortfall of five billion litres by 2055 — equivalent to 25 million people running the tap for 20 minutes — as supplies struggle to keep pace with need.

A YouGov survey of 3,121 adults across England and Wales, commissioned to mark the campaign's launch, exposed a striking gap between perception and reality. On average, respondents believed they used around 30 litres of water a day, when actual usage is closer to 140 litres — almost five times the assumed figure.

Awareness of the looming shortfall is similarly limited. More than half of those surveyed, 53 per cent, believe shortages are only a short-term, hot-weather phenomenon, while around a third feel their own water use makes little difference at a national level.

Despite the UK's reputation for rain, water availability is becoming markedly less predictable, with experts stressing that closing the gap is a shared, system-wide challenge rather than one for individuals alone.

Water Minister Emma Hardy said water was one of the country's most precious resources, with many parts of England consuming it faster than it can be naturally replenished. She pointed to lengthening, more frequent droughts driven by climate change and confirmed that the Government was backing the construction of nine new reservoirs, alongside encouraging simple behavioural changes from the public.

Professor Lizzie Kendon, Strategic Head of Climate Processes and Projections at the Met Office, explained that more rainfall does not automatically translate into more usable water. Climate change is driving wetter winters, drier summers and more intense bursts of rainfall, she said, with rain falling on dry, hardened ground often
running off rather than soaking into the soil where it is most valuable
— creating a growing imbalance that demands urgent action.

Water companies are investing heavily in upgrading infrastructure, including leak repairs and new sources such as reservoirs, but experts agree this will not be enough on its own to close the gap between projected supply and demand.

Chris Walters, Chief Executive at Ofwat, said investment in infrastructure and leak reduction was essential, but lasting resilience would also depend on the public changing its relationship with water and becoming stewards of the natural environment. The campaign, he said, was about helping people understand that water is finite and that valuing it more highly today would help secure supplies and protect the environment for the long term.

The launch is accompanied by a short film, Water: A Shared Challenge, presented by Jeff Brazier, who travels across England and Wales meeting experts including Professor Ian Walker of Swansea University on public attitudes to water use, and, in Yorkshire, Clare Cashon of the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, who highlights the impact of water shortages on local habitats and wildlife.

Brazier said making the film had changed how he thought about water, admitting he had always assumed it would simply be there when needed. What had struck him most, he said, was that scarcity was not just about less water from the tap, but about its impact on rivers, wildlife, communities and the country's future resilience — though the everyday choices people make could still make a real difference.

The campaign will run across England and Wales over the next four years. Further information is available at letssavewater.com.