Water Battle Short general project overviewWater scarcity is becoming an increasingly important issue worldwide due to increasing drought and a growing population. In metropolitan deltas, the possibilities for infrastructure expansion of water networks are limited, so that these drinking water systems reach their limits. This creates a discrepancy between the supply and demand of water and therefore an unsustainable water management. Grendel Games and Vitens have developed a serious game where the consumer is activated to reduce or shift water consumption. This reduces water demand and spreads better over the day, which can delay investment in infrastructure and may be needed to a lesser extent.The beneficiary is Thames Water, the drinking water company of the South East of England and the Thames River catchment area. This company is responsible for producing approximately 2 billion litres of clean drinking water per day, serving 5 million households and more than 10 million inhabitants. Due to local conditions, expansion and maintenance of the physical water network are undesirable and will hardly contribute to a reduction in water demand. Reducing water demand in this area is important because the metropolis continues to grow in population numbers and the water company is not allowed to extract additional groundwater to absorb this distortion. The use of behavioural changes through a serious game has a proven positive and lasting influence.The pilot project is intended to extend three successful tests in Leeuwarden, with these tests a 7% demand reduction and 2 to 3% peak levelling was achieved. With this pilot project, Grendel Games and Vitens want to demonstrate and further develop their innovative knowledge and expertise for water safety and water security in the metropolitan delta London. The game is largely played by children, who then urge their parents to realize water savings in the household. Based on information about water problems, the children solve puzzles and when they reduce or distribute their water consumption, more levels become available. They play in competition with the school, neighbourhood or district and are encouraged by means of prizes to achieve as many water savings as possible.Among the expected results is that the game will be played by at least 10,000 players, resulting in a consumption reduction and peak levelling of approximately 5 percentage points. In addition, the game should be perceived as useful and pleasant by the users. A successful pilot project translates into excellent opportunities to scale up the game in other regions within and outside the UK and in other areas of application.Initial activities and results of the projectWith this pilot project, Grendel Games and Vitens want to demonstrate their innovative knowledge and expertise for water safety and water security on a limited but representative scale at Thames Water. By demonstrating this knowledge and skills, one can scale up and sell the approach in follow-up to a successful project to a larger group of users, apply it in other regions and possibly also apply it in other settings such as influencing awareness and behaviour about energy use. The approach of Grendel Games and Vitens brings about behavioural changes among users, by incorporating appropriate incentives into a serious game and/or app, young and old players are encouraged to reduce water consumption and in some cases specifically level peak consumption. The goals of the project are:- Increase user awareness of water use and water waste.- Achieve representative ethnic diversity and geographical distribution among users.- Customize or further develop the game so that it can be played independently and thus demonstrated independently.- Customize or further develop so that the game becomes interesting for the widest possible age audience.- Demonstrate demand-side total solution that reduces peak water consumption and water waste.- Amassing qualitative and quantitative results that are representative of the City of London and can support its effectiveness in other regions.- Tighten business models and market implementation plans based on project results, with the aim of achieving rapid scaling and associated (international) rollout. Our country has an international reputation for our knowledge and innovations in the field of water technology.This project will further confirm this reputation and ensure that both Grendel Games and Vitens can further achieve their international ambitions as specialists in the field of integral, serious game-based, demand-side driven total solutions for increasing water awareness and reducing peak load. The Netherlands is at the forefront of the integrated approach, the preventive and participatory approach. The approach that Grendel Games and Vitens have developed fits in seamlessly with this and proves this once again: By bringing about behavioural changes on the demand side, through a participatory approach and from an integrated approach in which chain partners such as water suppliers, smart water meter suppliers, game developers and possibly knowledge institutions try to achieve an optimal effect together. The approach promotes prevention in relation to repair, thereby limiting the effects of water shortages. This is one of the benefits of betting on consumption reduction and peak levelling.What makes the technology, product, method or approach used innovativeThe Water Battle is a game that focuses on lowering the final water demand by combining education with behavioural changes and by intervening on the demand-side. This is achieved by a game in which parents and children carry out assignments with tips and advice on water saving and the levels are concluded with a quiz on water, water problems and water scarcity. The game is linked to the (smart) water meter of the household with which water consumption is monitored. When a consumption reduction or peak levelling in water use is visible, more options become available in the game so that the user remains engaged with the game and the savings to be realized.A pilot was carried out in Leeuwarden. This has led to a water saving of 7% during the 'battle'. Whether this will have a lasting effect is not yet clear. Water Battle focuses on the demand side of water consumption and not on the distribution of water. Thames Water's working area is 25% water loss due to outdated poor infrastructure. This supply side of water consumption is not taken into account in this project proposal. Reducing water needs is a spearhead policy in the UK and relevant to water conservation. Serious gaming in the field of water saving on a large scale is new in the Netherlands and abroad. Behavioural influence in the field of water consumption by serious gaming is an innovative approach. Innovation and the Netherlands innovation is very good.