Warminster Town Council and Wessex Water are working with local community groups to achieve recognition of Warminster as a Watermark Town.
Watermark Town status is an award that recognises where shared environmental and social goals have been met, with an emphasis on the town’s water usage and what happens to rain and wastewater that ends up in drains and sewers.
Wessex Water has developed the initiative following trials in Chippenham and Bridport, both of which became Watermark Towns in 2024.
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Two initial meetings have been held in Warminster, hosted by the town council. Amongst the top concerns were the need to take steps to reduce surface water flooding and to protect the delicate environmental balance of the local chalk streams and rivers.
Chalk streams are fed by underground aquifers, which means the water is naturally filtered and clear. These very rare geological feature are very precious. Only 200 chalk rivers are known globally, 170 of which are found in the UK in southern and eastern England.
The group agreed that the following initiatives should be undertaken in the first year of the Watermark Award scheme:
Raising Awareness Activities
• Save water, save money – tips on how to save water and cut your water bill
• Bin the wipe – Encouraging people to stop putting wet wipes in toilets as they can end up blocking pipes
Taking Action Activities
• Rain savers – installing water butts to help reduce rainfall run-off pilot scheme
• Water audits – installing water saving interventions to reduce water use at council and community buildings
• Only rain down the drain – supporting the National Yellowfish Campaign, painting yellow fish symbols by drains to raise awareness of which drains lead directly to rivers and waterways
• Education – signing up local schools for a free talk on the topic
Amongst the group involved are: U3A, Warminster Health and Wellbeing Forum, Sustainable Warminster, Warminster Toad Patrol, Friends of Warminster Rivers, Grovelands Countryside & Wildlife Group, Wiltshire Wildlife Trust, Wessex Rivers Trust and Warminster Town Council.
For more information contact Warminster Town Council, Tel: 01985 214847 or email: admin@warminster-tc.gov.uk
Last modified: 5 June 2025
