Water Efficiency Lab

The water sector in England and Wales is at risk of falling short of its long-term goals for water efficiency, with an estimated deficit of nearly 5 billion litres per day in England by 2055. The Water Efficiency Lab (WEL) is a new challenge-led competition to attract innovative solutions to specific water efficiency challenges and unlock progress on water efficient technology, processes and approaches. 

A total of £25 million will be available through annual WEL competitions between 2025-30.The total funding available for WEL 1 is up to £5 million.WEL 1 winners will be announced in mid-June 2026.  

The theme for WEL 1 (the first WEL competition) is Actionable Insights – using data to inform customers and change behaviours. 

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