A £270,000 water-saving campaign in England is encouraging South Asian and other Asian households to reduce the number of times they rinse rice, as the country faces severe drought conditions following a series of heatwaves. The Ofwat Innovation Fund-backed initiative, led by South Staffs Water and Cambridge Water, says washing rice twice instead of five to seven times could save up to five litres of water per preparation.

The campaign is designed to promote water conservation among different ethnic and faith communities. One of its key recommendations focuses on rice preparation, with some households traditionally rinsing raw rice several times under running water until the water becomes clear. The campaign suggests limiting this to two rinses and also recommends reusing the water collected from washing rice, including for watering plants. Celebrity chef Ping Coombes has featured in campaign material promoting the practice. She said rice is central to South Asian cooking and described the initiative as an opportunity to encourage simple sustainability measures. The campaign's estimate suggests that even small reductions in household water use could contribute to conservation efforts during periods of supply pressure.

Campaign also targets wudu

A separate part of the initiative focuses on wudu, the Islamic ritual washing performed before prayers. In partnership with Cambridge Central Mosque, the campaign encourages Muslims to use a one-litre jug rather than leaving a tap running during the ritual.

According to the campaign, performing wudu with a running tap can consume between six and 12 litres of water per session. Using a measured container is therefore being promoted as a way to reduce consumption while allowing people to continue the practice.

England faces drought pressure

The campaign comes after several heatwaves contributed to worsening water shortages across parts of England. Falling river levels and declining reservoir supplies have increased pressure on water companies and prompted calls for households to reduce unnecessary consumption.

The initiative has nevertheless attracted criticism. Some politicians and members of the public have questioned whether public and water-bill funding should be used to encourage changes in established cultural and religious practices. Critics have also argued that household conservation should not distract from losses within the water network itself.

Water companies in England are estimated to lose around three billion litres of water every day through leaks, highlighting the scale of infrastructure-related wastage. The figure has strengthened calls for greater investment in repairing ageing pipelines alongside efforts to change consumer behaviour.

The campaign is ultimately seeking to combine household-level conservation with wider efforts to reduce demand during drought conditions. Its recommendations around rice washing and wudu are aimed at specific everyday practices, while the criticism surrounding the programme reflects a broader debate over how responsibility for water conservation should be shared between consumers, water companies and regulators.