The Environment Agency has announced that nominations for the 2007 Water Efficiency Award will be accepted until 31 August 2006.

English Nature will sponsor the leisure and tourism award category.

The agency’s director of water management, David King, said: “The awards provide organisations with the opportunity to showcase the excellent work that is being done across the country to save our water resources.”

Last year, Mandix won the leisure and tourism category for raising awareness of water efficiency in the hotel industry. The Cardiff-based consultancy reduced the use of water per guest in the scheme’s eight participating hotels by as much as 58 per cent, and cut costs by up to £1,600 per hotel, through installing water-saving devices, improving leak detection and carrying out repairs.

The 2005 runner up – the Cosmopolitan Hotel Group – cut water use by 39 per cent and reduced water charges by £44,000 a year.

Category finalist -– Midlands-based The Gough Arms – also saved water, money and 1,760 pints a year by fitting a Waterite UK Stayclean system to flush out beer lines.

According to the Environment Agency, UK businesses use 8,000 million litres of water a day and most can save 30 per cent or more of their water costs by implementing simple measures such as installing dual flush toilets and using rainwater collected on roofs for vehicle washing and outside watering. Details: www.environment-agency.gov.uk/savewater