In this episode of Waterfall, Mike and Karen are joined by Ana Millan from CCW and Luis Alejandro Camacho-Botero, water resources engineer at Universidad de los Andes in Bogota, to explore Colombia's remarkable water saving story. When a tunnel collapse in 1997 threatened Bogota's entire water supply, the city launched urgent conservation campaigns that permanently transformed how its eight million residents use water. The episode explores how a powerful combination of price signals, universal metering and behaviour change brought daily water use down to just 92 litres per person per day, and what the UK could learn from it.

Get in touch with the show with any questions or comments: podcast@ccwater.org.uk

Timestamps

0:00 – Introduction

00:52 – Guest introductions: Ana Millan and Luis Alejandro Camacho-Botero

01:22 – The 1997 water crisis in Bogota

04:31 – Did the water saving measures work?

06:41 – A culture of water saving passed down through generations

08:55 – The recipe for success: metering, pricing and behaviour change

In this episode of Waterfall, Mike and Karen are joined by Helen White, Special Adviser on Household Food Waste at WRAP, to explore the surprising connection between food waste and water waste. Helen reveals the staggering scale of what ends up in our bins every day, from 920,000 bananas to over 3 million glasses of milk, and explains the hidden water cost of throwing food away. The episode is packed with practical, easy to follow tips on smarter shopping, correct food storage, and creative ways to use up what you've already bought.

Get in touch with the show with any questions or comments: podcast@ccwater.org.uk

Timestamps

0:00 – Introduction 0:34 – Guest introduction: Helen White, WRAP 0:53 – What is WRAP? 3:48 – The staggering scale of everyday food waste 5:31 – The food waste and water connection 8:21 – Practical tips to reduce food waste at home

In this episode of Waterfall, Mike and Karen are joined by Alistair Chisholm to discuss why water is essential for both people and the environment. They explore future challenges around water supply, the importance of using less, and how everyday actions connect to the wider water cycle. The episode highlights that saving water can reduce pressure on nature while helping secure supplies for the future.

Timestamp

00:00:00 Introduction and guest welcome 00:00:47 Why saving water matters 00:02:00 Future water demand 00:04:30 Balancing supply and demand 00:06:00 The wider water cycle