World Water Day: 7 actions for your company on 22 March
World Water Day has been celebrated on 22 March since 1993, by decision of the UN General Assembly. See how the day began, the themes from 2024 to 2026 and 7 practical actions for a company to make the most of it, from reading the meter overnight to an internal campaign, and keep saving on the other 364 days.
By T&D Sustentável 5 min read
In this article · 7
World Water Day is celebrated every year on 22 March. The day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in resolution A/RES/47/193 and has been observed since 1993, coordinated by UN-Water, which brings together more than 30 United Nations organisations working on water and sanitation. In 2026, the theme was water and gender, with the slogan “Where water flows, equality grows”.
In short:
- Date: 22 March, every year, since 1993.
- Origin: UN General Assembly resolution A/RES/47/193.
- Recent themes: 2024, water for peace; 2025, glacier preservation; 2026, water and gender.
- For a company, the day is a good trigger to measure consumption, hunt for leaks and launch an internal campaign.
- The result only lasts if metering and targets continue after 22 March.
When is World Water Day and how did it begin?
On 22 March. The UN General Assembly proclaimed the day in resolution A/RES/47/193, and it has been celebrated since 1993. Each year, UN-Water chooses a theme and runs the global campaign, with governments, organisations and companies. Around the same time, the UN publishes the United Nations World Water Development Report.
What is the World Water Day theme?
It changes every year. The three most recent:
| Year | Theme |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Water for peace |
| 2025 | Glacier preservation |
| 2026 | Water and gender: “Where water flows, equality grows” |
The 2026 theme highlighted that women and girls carry much of the work of fetching water where it does not come from a tap, and that gender equality in water management is a matter of justice and improves results. Worldwide, 1 in 4 people, 2.1 billion, still lack safely managed drinking water, according to WHO and UNICEF. The UN’s water targets are in 4 SDGs linked to saving water.
Why does the day matter to companies?
Because water waste in a company is largely invisible, and a date on the calendar helps you look at it. Some figures:
- A toilet with a visible trickle loses 144 litres a day, more than 4,000 litres a month, according to the water conservation manual by Brazil’s water agency (ANA), FIESP and SindusCon-SP.
- A tap with a 2 mm trickle loses more than 114 litres a day, according to the same manual.
- In 2024, Brazil lost 39.53% of its treated water before it reached the consumer, according to Instituto Trata Brasil.
On top of that, every litre wasted weighs twice on the bill with the many utilities that charge sewage on the metered water volume, and weighs even more in water crises, when surcharges arrive, as shown in water crisis and companies.
What can a company do on World Water Day?
Seven actions fit in a day and leave the company ready for the rest of the year:
- Read the meter with the building closed. Note the reading at closing time and again before opening, with no one using water. If the number has changed, there is a leak or equipment running. The step by step is in invisible leaks.
- Walk round the toilets and the kitchen. Toilets with a trickle, dripping taps, running urinals. Note them down and have them fixed the same day.
- Launch the internal campaign with a target. A single number, such as cutting 10% in three months, with notices at the point of use. Ready-made templates are in water saving awareness.
- Publish the water indicator. Last month’s consumption in m³ and litres per employee per day, on the noticeboard and by email.
- Review the last bill. Category, number of units, reading and sewage charge. See how in how to read a company water bill.
- Choose one improvement for the quarter. Aerators on taps, new toilets, a reuse point or rainwater harvesting.
- Schedule the next measurement. Repeat the overnight reading every month and compare it with the target until the next 22 March.
How do you keep the savings going after 22 March?
With continuous metering and automatic alerts. A one-day campaign raises attention, but a leak that starts in April only shows up on May’s bill if no one is watching consumption. Remote monitoring solves this, as explained in remote water consumption monitoring.
T&D’s TDRR monitors tanks, cisterns, pumps and consumption hour by hour and alerts by app, SMS, email and WhatsApp when consumption leaves the normal pattern. Monitoring alone delivers an average 10% reduction in consumption, according to T&D’s data. To go further, SEA 360º handles implementation, without building works, with a baseline under the IPMVP protocol, efficiency technology at points of use, electronic leak detection and repairs, followed by ongoing management; the ceiling observed in the full programme is a 70% reduction in consumption.
Frequently asked questions
When is World Water Day?
On 22 March, every year. The day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in resolution A/RES/47/193 and has been celebrated since 1993.
What is the theme of World Water Day 2026?
Water and gender, with the slogan “Where water flows, equality grows”. In 2025, the theme was glacier preservation, and in 2024, water for peace.
Who organises World Water Day?
UN-Water, the mechanism that coordinates more than 30 United Nations organisations working on water and sanitation. Each year, it chooses the theme and runs the global campaign.
What can a company do on World Water Day?
Read the meter with the building closed to find leaks, walk round the toilets and kitchen, launch an internal campaign with a target, publish the consumption indicator, review the bill, choose an improvement for the quarter and schedule monthly metering.
How do you know if a company has a water leak?
Read the meter at closing time and before opening, with no one using water. If the reading has changed, there is a leak or some equipment using water. High consumption in the early hours on remote monitoring is the same sign, in real time.
Sources
- United Nations, World Water Day, 22 March: date, UN-Water coordination and the 2026 theme
- United Nations, General Assembly, resolution A/RES/47/193: proclamation of World Water Day
- WHO, “1 in 4 people globally still lack access to safe drinking water”, with UNICEF, 26/08/2025
- Conservação e reúso da água em edificações (ANA, FIESP and SindusCon-SP, 2005, in Portuguese): leak loss table, with the full reference in invisible leaks
- Instituto Trata Brasil, 2026 Water Loss Study (SINISA, 2024), in Portuguese
- T&D TDRR and SEA 360º
