A more co-ordinated message to the public coupled with the proper price signals would be the most effective way of engaging consumers to achieve a sustainable water strategy according to Martin Hurst, Defra's water director, at a recent high-level debate on the subject.

Hurst was one of 12 high-level water industry panellists attending this year's WWT Round Table, at the Institute of Directors, the fifth annual round table sponsored by international consultancy Black & Veatch.

The debate on the topic "How can water companies engage consumers to achieve a sustainable water strategy?" - provided a valuable insight into current thinking on the subject and a distillation of the major barriers and opportunities facing the industry as a whole.

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	WWT Round Table Podcast

	Round Table Panel Members

	Bob Baty			Rob Ashley
	External affairs environmental director Thames Water			External affairs interim director Ofwat
	Richard Ayland			Ian Barker
	External affairs environmental director Thames Water			Head of water Environment Agency
	Dr Stephen Bird			Tony Conway
	Operations director South West Water			Director of water asset management United Utilities
	John Cuthbert			Martin Hurst
	Chief executive Northumbrian Water			Director of water Defra
	Dan McCarthy			Tony Smith
	President and CEO Black & Veatch Water			Chief executive CC Water