Enabling Water Smart Communities (WSC) is a complex, multi-faceted, cross-sectoral opportunity. Framing the problems that limit mainstream delivery today requires exploration of the contextual social, environmental, economic and technological conditions in which they occur.

Due to the complex nature of the programme and expected innovative nature of the proposed solutions, we will be following a design-led approach to help understand and then hopefully solve the problem(s).

The initial Discovery phase is a problem framing exercise. It provides the space to explore what Water Smart Communities (WSC) are, their value and how their delivery can be accelerated in England and Wales, and provides the insight needed to achieve the project vision. The research will focus on these key themes.

This preliminary research will shape what the project needs to do next and also define the deeper research to be undertaken by our academic partners University of Manchester and University of East Anglia.