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This year’s British Science Week theme is "Change and Adapt", and water is the perfect way to explore this idea. Water is constantly changing - it shifts from liquid to solid or gas, shapes our landscapes over time, and it certainly adapts to different environments.

At Affinity Water, science isn’t just about experiments - it’s at the heart of everything we do. Our state-of-the-art laboratory is responsible for testing thousands of water samples every year to ensure safe, high-quality drinking water for our communities.

Want to see our lab in action? Take a behind-the-scenes look at our water quality lab by watching our tour here. You can also find out more about our Green Lab certification and how we’re making scientific research more sustainable.

As the UK’s largest water-only supplier, we’re working to adapt to climate change, protect precious water resources, and ensure that future generations have access to clean, sustainable water.

Try these five fun water experiments and discover how water changes and adapts in nature, our homes, and science.

For more activities, check out the British Science Week activity packs.

1. The water cycle in a bag

This simple experiment demonstrates how water moves through the never-ending cycle of evaporation, condensation, and precipitation - the same processes that drive our weather.

You’ll need:

• A reusable food bag
• Water
• Blue food colouring
• A marker
• Tape

Instructions:

1. Fill the bag with water, add a few drops of food colouring, and seal it.
2. Tape the bag to a sunny window and use the marker to draw the sun, clouds, and raindrops.
3. Watch as the water evaporates, condenses on the bag’s surface, and eventually "rains" back down inside.

Why It Matters: Water constantly adapts to temperature and weather, just as we need to adapt how we use and conserve it in the face of climate change.

2. A DIY water filter

Water changes as it moves through natural filters like soil, sand, and rock. This experiment mimics the process used in water treatment plants to remove dirt and impurities, ensuring safe drinking water.

You’ll Need:

• A plastic bottle (cut in half)
• Cotton balls
• Sand
• Gravel
• Dirty water (mix soil into water for effect)

Instructions:

1. Turn the top half of the bottle upside down and place it inside the bottom half like a funnel.
2. Layer the cotton balls at the bottom, followed by a layer of sand, then gravel on top.
3. Slowly pour the dirty water through the filter and observe how it gets cleaner as it passes through.

Why it matters: We work to treat and protect water sources, ensuring clean and safe drinking water for communities. Natural filtration is one way water is purified in the environment, but modern treatment processes go even further to remove bacteria and pollutants.

3. Floating and sinking

Why do some objects float while others sink? It all comes down to density, how much mass is packed into a given space.

If an object is denser than water, it sinks. If it’s less dense, it floats. This experiment helps you explore how materials behave in water and how small changes can affect the ability to float.

You’ll need:

• A container filled with water
• A selection of objects, such as coins, a sponge, a plastic bottle, (an empty and a filled one) a fruit of your choice and a rock!

Instructions:

1. Before dropping each object into the water, predict whether it will float or sink.
2. Place each object in the water and observe what happens.
3. Now, try changing an object:

• Peel your fruit and see if it still floats.
• Fill the plastic bottle with water - does it sink now?

Why it matters: Marine life has evolved to adapt to different water environments. Some fish have swim bladders to control buoyancy, while other animals rely on fat stores to stay afloat. Similarly, we must adapt our water use to ensure resources aren’t wasted.

4. Ice to water to steam

Water is one of the few substances on Earth that naturally exists in three states—solid, liquid, and gas. This experiment demonstrates how temperature changes cause water to shift between these states.

You’ll need:

• Ice cubes
• A pot
• A stove or heat source (adult supervision required)

Instructions:

1. Place a few ice cubes in the pot and observe their solid state.
2. Turn on low heat and watch the ice melt into liquid water.
3. Increase the heat and wait for the water to evaporate into steam (gas).

Why it matters: Water constantly changes and adapts to its environment. Rising global temperatures increase evaporation rates, affecting water availability and leading to droughts and shortages. Affinity Water is working to prepare for these changes by improving water efficiency and conservation efforts.

5. Walking water

Water can move and adapt, even against gravity! This experiment demonstrates capillary action, the same process that helps water travel through plant roots and even into your home’s plumbing.

You’ll Need:

• 3 clear glasses
• Water
• Paper towels
• Red, blue, and yellow food colouring

Instructions:

1. Fill two glasses with water—one with red food colouring and one with blue. Leave the third glass empty.
2. Fold two paper towels into strips and place one end in each full glass and the other end in the empty glass.
3. Watch as the water "walks" up the paper towel and into the empty glass, mixing colours along the way!

Why it matters: This experiment shows how water moves through materials, just like it travels through soil, plants, and even underground water sources. Water’s ability to move and adapt is key to sustaining life.