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