Agricultural businesses are among firms most aware of the role water wastage plays in carbon emissions, suggests a survey.

The study of 500 organisations for the Environment Agency found that two-thirds of farm-related firms knew water consumption added to their carbon footprint.

The figure compares to two-fifths of companies questioned that didn’t realise the impact of water usage.

Awareness of water efficiency was highest among business leaders in the south-east of England (62%), where there is less water per head of population than in Egypt.

The survey was conducted to highlight the agency’s 2009 Water Efficiency Awards to demonstrate that sustainability and water efficiency can go hand in hand.