Water stress and SDG 6 are no longer abstract issues; many Indian cities and industrial areas already face scarcity, higher costs and tighter regulations. Companies that involve employees in water stewardship can cut consumption, reduce risk and build a culture of responsibility at the same time. The formats below are designed so CSR, sustainability and HR teams can co-run them with NGO partners in a low-cost, practical way.
- “Know Your Water Footprint” week
Run a 3–5 day challenge where employees track their daily water use at home and office using a simple worksheet or online form—showers, taps, laundry, bottled water, etc. Close the week with a short learning session explaining direct water use versus “virtual water” embedded in food, clothes and gadgets, and offer 5–7 realistic high-impact swaps such as shorter showers, fixing leaks quickly, reducing food waste and choosing lower-footprint foods more often. NGOs or technical partners can provide calculators and simple infographics.
- Office water audit and “Leak Hunters”
Create small volunteer teams to audit washrooms, pantry, landscaping and process areas with a simple checklist. Ask them to look for leaks, dripping taps, unnecessary flushing, running hoses and over-irrigation, then compile findings into a “Water Savings Action Sheet” with clear quick wins such as aerators, sensor taps, better schedules, and signage reminding people to shut taps. Facilities and EHS teams can then plan fixes and report back on reductions achieved.
- “Save Water at Work” behaviour-change campaign
Co-design a 30-day behaviour campaign with employees, using posters, stickers and short videos near taps, coffee/tea points and washrooms. Set department-level goals based on meter data or proxy indicators (for example, frequency of tank refills, number of reported leaks fixed) and recognise teams that show the most improvement or creative ideas. This keeps water conservation visible and turns it into a shared game rather than a one-time memo.
- Volunteering for community WASH projects
Partner with a water and sanitation (WASH) NGO to organise school WASH drives, community water-point cleanups or handwashing and hygiene awareness sessions. Employees can help paint positive WASH messages, set up simple rainwater harvesting awareness corners, or assist with data collection such as mapping broken taps, non-functional toilets or drainage issues. This links internal campaigns with real improvements for nearby communities.
- Rainwater harvesting and water-body rejuvenation days
Organise weekend or CSR days where employees support the cleaning and rejuvenation of ponds, lakes, stepwells or rainwater harvesting structures on campus or in nearby communities under expert guidance. Combine hands-on work with a short talk on local groundwater, water stress and how the company’s CSR or ESG commitments relate to SDG 6, so volunteers see the bigger picture behind the activity. Partners can help ensure safety, permissions and technical quality.
- “Design a Water-Wise Office” lab
Bring cross-functional employees together for a 2–3 hour lab to reimagine one floor, building or plant area with water-saving ideas. Provide basic data on current usage and costs, then ask teams to propose a package of measures—low-flow fixtures, reuse of RO reject water for flushing or gardening, rainwater use, smart meters or better irrigation schedules—along with simple cost, savings and ROI estimates. Leadership, CSR and facilities can evaluate the pitches, commit to piloting the best ideas and report impact.
- Story and data wall: “Every Drop Counts”
Set up a physical or digital “Every Drop Counts” wall that combines local water scarcity facts, the company’s water usage trends and stories from communities without reliable access. Invite employees to add personal pledges such as “My one change for water this month,” and update the wall monthly with progress notes, photos from WASH volunteering and data on litres saved. This keeps water on the agenda all year and connects individual actions to collective results.
Written by Deb who is a social impact worker and part of Letzrise team and stays in Bengaluru.