Waterfall Rapids

In this episode of Waterfall Rapids, Mike and Karen are joined by Natasha Wiseman, founder of Make Water Famous, to discuss how positive storytelling can help more people connect with water. Natasha shares the mission behind the growing platform, why people are more interested in water than many assume, and how raising awareness of water issues can inspire action, attract future talent to the sector, and support a more sustainable future. Plus, the team talk water-saving habits and the importance of celebrating the people working behind the scenes to keep our water services running.
The full length edition of this episode was originally released on 16/6/2023.
Timestamps
01:39 Introductions
02:21 The idea behind Make Water Famous
04:00 Getting more people interested in water
05:36 Growing a global water community
08:56 Natasha's water-saving habits
10:50 Why making water famous matters

In this episode of Waterfall, Mike and Karen chat with Andrew Tucker, Demand Reduction Manager at Thames Water, about one of the biggest hidden sources of household water waste: leaky toilets. They discuss how modern dual-flush toilets leak internally without people noticing, how a single leaky loo can double a household's daily water usage, and what smart meter data is revealing about continuous leaks across thousands of homes. Andrew also breaks down why internal mechanisms fail and how upcoming regulations, like Defra's mandatory water labeling, aim to fix the issue on a national scale.
The full length edition of this episode was originally released on 29/9/2023.
Timestamps
00:45 – Introductions
02:08 – What is a leaky loo and why modern toilets fail
03:49 – What smart meter data reveals about household leaks
05:20 – The national scale: 50 million litres lost daily
06:40 – Why dual-flush mechanisms fail and how to fix them

In this episode of Waterfall Rapids, Mike and Karen speak with Dr Claire Houlihan from the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research and Professor Alison Brown from the University of Manchester about their Ofwat-funded project, Enabling Water Smart Communities. They discuss what a "water smart community" really means, how new housing developments could better manage water, the challenges of water reuse, and why understanding why people use water matters more than just measuring how much.
The full length edition of this episode was originally released on 16/8/2024.
Timestamps:
01:52 – What is a water smart community?
03:48 – Interesting findings so far
04:33 – The challenge of water reuse
05:20 – Why social science research on water matters
06:59 – Why understanding people matters more than numbers

In this episode of Waterfall Rapids, Mike and Karen are joined by Lisa Craven, MD of Stormsaver, to talk about rainwater harvesting. She explains how the systems work, clears up common misconceptions about rainwater being dirty, and shares the impressive savings possible for both homes and businesses, plus practical tips for retrofitting older properties.
The full length edition of this episode was originally released on 2/8/2024.
Timestamps:
00:56 – What is rainwater harvesting?
02:25 – Is rainwater actually clean?
04:04 – Typical water savings at home
07:16 – Business appetite for reuse
10:21 – Retrofitting an older home

In this episode of Waterfall Rapids, Lia takes us on two walks with water in Wales to promote the Walking with Water campaign. She speaks with Tony Rees from South East Wales Rivers Trust about the Taff Trail, its industrial heritage and its links to local reservoirs, then with land artist Rebecca Wynne-Kelly in Aberarth about Welsh water folklore, slowing down in nature, and the fight for water justice.
The full length edition of this episode was originally released on 21/7/2023.
Timestamps:
00:39 – What is Walking with Water?
01:38 – Meeting Tony and the Taff Trail
04:21 – How reservoirs feed the river
07:42 – Meeting Rebecca in Aberarth
10:42 – The legend of the witch and the pool

In this episode of Waterfall Rapids, producer Tom and Karen report live from Gardeners' World Live. They speak with Malcolm Moody from the Solihull and District Orchid Society about why orchids are water efficient and how to water them properly, then talk to Josh Fenton about his award-winning show garden, designed to demonstrate water-saving solutions like drought-tolerant planting and a composting toilet.
The full length edition of this episode was originally released on 19/7/2024.
Timestamps:
01:43 – Are orchids water efficient?
02:54 – Rainwater vs tap water for plants
04:34 – Malcolm's top water-saving tips
06:59 – Josh's water-saving show garden
09:33 – The eco toilet, the "Cuddy"

In this episode of Waterfall Rapids, Mike is joined by author and environmental journalist Tim Smedley to talk about his book The Last Drop. They discuss the world's most shocking water crises, from Jordan's disappearing groundwater to the drying up of Lake Mead in the western US, the pros and cons of desalination, and why personal water use still matters. Tim shares how he cut his own household's water use by more than half through simple changes.
The full length edition of this episode was originally released on 14/7/2023.
Timestamps:
01:37 – The world's most shocking water crises
03:07 – The drying up of Lake Mead
05:57 – Desalination: pros and cons
08:16 – Cutting personal water use
11:26 – Should water cost more?

In this episode of Waterfall Rapids, Cath and Karen are joined by Nicole McNabb and Nick Mills from Southern Water to talk about a trial using water butts and planters to cut storm overflows. They explain the difference between standard, slow-drain and smart water butts, share strong results from a trial on the Isle of Wight, and talk about the bigger picture: too much hard, non-permeable surface (like driveways) sending rainwater straight into the sewers.
The full length edition of this episode was originally released on 7/7/2023.
Timestamps:
01:11 – The problem: storm overflows and runoff
02:37 – Isle of Wight trial results
03:23 – Types of water butts explained
07:04 – Bigger roofs and planters
08:05 – Driveways and permeable surfaces

In this episode of Waterfall Rapids, Cath and Karen are joined by Dr Mark Gush from the RHS to talk about water-wise gardening. He shares simple tips like letting your lawn grow longer to build deeper roots, watering in the morning to cut evaporation, and using mulch to lock moisture into the soil. He also points listeners to the RHS "Mains to Rains" pledge website for more ways to save water in the garden.
The full length edition of this episode was originally released on 23/6/2023.
Timestamps:
01:42 – RHS's Mains to Rains pledges
04:16 – RHS's own water-saving changes
05:04 – Longer lawns, deeper roots
08:04 – Best time to water
09:11 – Why mulch works so well

In this episode of Waterfall Rapids, Mike and Cath explain why the water pressure drops or the water goes off when it's really hot. It's not because there isn't enough rain - there was plenty over winter and spring. The real problem is that when it's hot, everyone uses much more water at once, and the pipes and treatment works can't keep up. They talk about how companies can get ready for this, why saving water all year round helps, and why South East Water brought in a hosepipe ban - not because of drought, but because their network couldn't cope with demand.
The full length edition of this episode was originally released on 30/6/2023.
Timestamps:
00:48 – Is it because of not enough rain? (No)
02:11 – Why it really happens: too much demand at once
02:41 – How companies can get ready
05:58 – Easy ways to use less water
07:47 – Saving water helps your community, not just the company
09:37 – South East Water's hosepipe ban explained