The Environment Agency, the environmental regulator of the water industry of England and Wales has a legal duty to secure the proper use of water including its efficient use. One of its approaches for meeting this duty is to organize and manage a Water Efficiency Awards scheme across a range of categories. The Awards were held in 2000 and 2001 as a collaborative project with Water UK, the trade body representing the water utilities of the United Kingdom. In 2003 the Environment Agency took on the sole responsibility for managing the Awards. The paper charts the evolution of the Awards and sets out the formula for what the author believes will deliver a successful awards program. The Awards are reviewed by analyzing the entries, setting out the costs of running the program and discussing the benefits. The paper summarizes an evaluation project that is to start imminently before setting out the future direction of the Awards. Includes 9 references, tables.