We are pleased to announce the theme for the second WEL competition (WEL 2) as Reducing customer-side leakage, launching on 3 August 2026. See the Challenge Theme page for more information.
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 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. Each annual competition will explore a different theme, to be confirmed. See the Challenge Theme page for more information about the different WEL themes.
The first WEL competition (WEL 1), which focused on Actionable Insights, closed for entries on 10 March 2026. We will be announcing the winners of the first competition on 23 June 2026.
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The theme for WEL 2 is Reducing customer-side leakage. Read more about why reducing customer-side leakage has been selected as the WEL 2 theme, and find the Challenge Statement on the Challenge Theme page below.
WEL 2 will open for entries on 3 August 2026 at 1 pm (BST)
The total funding available for WEL 2 is up to £5 million.
Full details about WEL 2, including the Entrant Handbook, minimum and maximum funding request per entry, who can enter, and the competition timeline, will be available when WEL 2 opens in August.
The theme for WEL 1 was Actionable Insights – using data to inform customers and change behaviours.
WEL 1 opened for entries on 25 November 2025 at 1 pm (GMT) and closed on 10 March 2026 at 1 pm (GMT).
The total funding available for WEL 1 is up to £5 million. Individual entries were able to request between £150,000 and £1.5 million (exceptions apply – see Key Materials).
WEL 1 winners will be announced on 23 June 2026.
If you have any feedback or concerns relating to the Water Efficiency Lab, please feel free to contact us directly at [email protected] or submit your feedback or concerns anonymously. We welcome and support feedback from entrants via email and via entrant surveys sent out after entering one of our competitions.
If you would prefer to contact Ofwat directly, you may do so by emailing [email protected]. Ofwat also has a range of materials available relating to whistleblowing and making a complaint.
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