Delivering behaviour change at a hyper-local level
This was a pilot programme for United Utilities to test the impact of a hyper-local campaign on problem behaviour - flushing and pouring the wrong things down the drain. It delivered exceptional results: sewer surveys conducted before and after the campaign showed there had been a 90% reduction in the flushing of wet wipes.
Challenge
Every year, United Utilities (UU) tackles around 25,000 pipe blockages, costing around £10 million, mainly because people flush or pour things they shouldn’t. It is a constant challenge to educate people about their personal impact on the region’s drainage system – and change their habits.
Burscough had become a hotspot for flooding following a number of incidents reported by residents. While a key cause was hydraulic issues (weather leaving the sewers unable to cope) but consumer behaviour – flushing and pouring the wrong things – was also a contributing factor.
United Utilities wanted to try a new, hyper-local approach, working in partnership with residents on this sensitive topic. We developed the campaign name Burscough Better Together to reflect our goal.
Activity
We conducted in-depth first-hand research, spending a day in Burscough to understand how local people spend their time and identify key community meeting places and communication channels.
Our campaign included:
- Hosting outreach events at supermarkets, Burscough’s Annual Heritage Weekend and Burscough’s Christmas Fayre to speak to members of the community and encourage them to take the #BeenHelpingBBT
- Hosting an educational day at The Grove Community Centre’s summer club, showing children how specialists drainage vehicles work and holding a poster competition for them, with the winning creation being displayed in bus stops, restaurants, notice boards and shops around the village. This was supported by media relations.
- Running six ‘Think before you flush’ Mad Science workshops to all primary schools in the village.
- Handing out potty training packs to parents attending nurseries and baby and toddler groups in Burscough. The pack included potty training guides with messages about not flushing wipes.
- Keeping residents informed with our progress with advertorials in Local Life – a free hyper local magazine delivered to all homes in Burscough.
Results
Surveys of the sewers in the village were conducted at the beginning of the campaign in May 2018 to measure the problem.
The same survey was conducted in January 2019 at the end of the campaign, and showed:
- 90% reduction in the flushing of wet wipes
- 84% reduction in other non-flushable items
- An overall reduction of 88%
“This campaign delivered exceptional results and showed the power of a hyper-local approach, working closely with a local community, to deliver measurable behaviour change. We’re now looking to adopt a similar approach in another problem area.”
Helen Roberts, Marketing Co-ordinator, United Utilities.