Right now scientists are racing against the clock to solve the growing water crisis.

There are three main ways they are doing this.

The first is by dramatically removing the amount of pollutant rubbish that goes into our sewers, rivers and seas.

This means taking the manufacture of soaps, detergents, fertilisers, drinks, food, plastics, paints, polymers, pharmaceuticals and chemicals - and making the process far more green.

Washing up liquid that is kind to the planet - not just your hands

An exciting example is the quest to discover a brand new chemical based on natural oils from plants and sugar which will make washing powder, shampoos and soaps less damaging to the environment.

This will allow manufacturers to ditch the petroleum-based chemicals that cause so much pollution.

Experts are also working out how to change complex chemical reactions used in many factories so that instead of producing waste containing, for example, damaging phosphorus compounds the typical by-product will be ……..pure water.