WATER wastage is contributing to a "Desert State" in the South East of England, with figures showing there is less water per head than in countries such as Syria and Sudan.

In response, government-funded programme Envirowise, which advises businesses on improving their bottom line by becoming more resource efficient, has launched “Water Wealth” - an initiative to encourage UK businesses to reduce the amount of water they are pouring down the drain.

Currently UK industry and commerce uses a staggering 1300 million cubic metres of water every year, which is three times more water than necessary.

A business that implements a simple and effective water conservation technique can cut its annual water consumption by up to 30 per cent and enjoy substantial cost savings.

Dr Martin Gibson, programme director at Envirowise explained: “It has been widely publicised that Southern England has had its driest nine months since 1976 and there has been a real focus on water usage around the home and garden. However, with commercial and industrial usage accounting for nearly a third of all water used in the UK – the business community can also make a significant contribution to this water reduction.”

To mark the launch of "Water Wealth", Envirowise unveiled an 8ft pyramid made up of 56 water cooler bottles in the City of London, representing the staggering 1,036 litres of water used needlessly by the average office worker every month.

A family of camels - mother nature’s natural water conservators – completed the picture, to help visually hammer home to businesses the issue of water conservation.

Dr Martin Gibson stressed: “Many people are adopting water efficient practices at home - for instance not leaving taps running when brushing their teeth and only using full washing machines - and they need to take the same mentality into work with them.

"Facilities managers or personnel looking to implement a water efficient programme should take a look at the Envirowise website at www.envirowise.gov.uk which offers practical advice and tips.”

Envirowise is committed to helping UK industry bank even more money through water conservation techniques that could cut annual water consumption by up to 30 per cent.

Envirowise provides a range of help for businesses interested in cutting water consumption:

* A variety of guides provides ideas and practical advice on water minimisation.

* On–site visits provide a specialist evaluation of water use and costs, and how much businesses could save by reducing waste

Companies interested in finding out more should visit www.envirowise.gov.uk or call the Environment and Energy Helpline on 0800 585 794.