Water efficiency needs greater focus on product performance to achieve goals in housebuilding

Regulations for critical water saving measures in new properties need to be simplified, and focus on clear labelling of product performance not individual consumption, according to a recent construction industry round table. The multi-disciplinary meeting including major housebuilders Vistry and Barratt Redrow, Thames Water, and the Future Homes Hub, heard views that the current regulations including the 110 litres per-person target were ambiguous and “not fit for purpose” for driving much-needed cuts in consumption.

Part G of the Building Regulations is due to be updated soon, so this was a timely round table staged by netMAGmedia and Housebuilder and Developer magazine, and sponsored by Hansgrohe International, Triton Showers, and Showersave. It produced a range of important learnings for Government and the industry to take note of, with experts from different sides of the housebuilding sector discussing the practicalities of delivering homes with lower water use plus energy savings, without compromising performance for customers.

A key focus was how to make consumers more aware of the cost of water, both financially and environmentally, when currently it’s a lower priority than it should be. Some delegates called for a “national campaign,” as customer behaviour can compromise product innovation. Smart metering was acknowledged as the best way to increase this engagement, as it will provide transparent data on the real cost of water use. According to delegate Andrew Tucker, Water Demand Reduction Manager at Thames Water, this was soon to become a standard approach across the housebuilding sector.

Tucker also advocated mandatory labelling of products on their water efficiency to help drive consumer adoption as well as installer awareness, and this was echoed by other delegates. He said the 110 litres per person target in Part G needed to be “ditched” in favour of the alternative ‘fittings-based’ approach to specification. Delegates gave the view that product labelling should be mandatory at point of sale.

The group explored wider environmental benefits of water saving, in the context of The Environment Agency’s claims that water scarcity in England and Wales will lead to a demand for an extra 5 billion litres of water by 2050. They also looked at how the 2025 Future Homes Standard and Home Energy Model would include water efficiency as well as heating efficiency improvements. A core learning was that there needed to be positive, widespread and “relatable” education of consumers, to stress the importance of water saving and their ability to achieve financial savings as well as environmental benefits.

Drawing the link between water efficiency and energy savings, consultant Naomi Sadler from SEES stressed the need for industry to highlight the carbon impact of water treatment itself and how water saving measures presented another option for developers to cut carbon in order to comply with the Future Homes Standard.

James Parker, editor of Housebuilder & Developer, commented: “This event was an important opportunity to bring some key players together in order to highlight the key position of water saving for futureproofing homes and homeowners, and fight its corner in a wider energy discussion dominated by materials and renewables. We heard from major housebuilders on both the realities of water-saving appliances, and sponsor manufacturers who were highly engaged in collaborating on future more efficient homes, and generating ideas on how to drive essential consumer buy-in.”

“We hope that the industry and Government will take note of the round table outcomes – to be published at insights.netmagmedia.co.uk – as they prepare updates to Part G alongside the final provisions of the Future Homes Standard in coming months.”

The attendees were:

Richard Lupo                                        Managing Director, SHIFT  Environment

Neil Williams                                         Principal Civil Engineer, Burroughs

Nathan Richardson                              Head of Policy & Strategy, Waterwise

Jack Brayshaw                                      Head of Technical Innovation, Vistry Group

Jeff House                                              External Affairs & Policy Director, BAXI

Nigel Griffiths                                       Sustainability Expert & Former Director, Sustainable Traditional Buildings Alliance

Tom Reynolds                                       Chief Executive, Bathroom Manufacturers Association

Naomi Sadler                                        Sadler Energy & Environmental Services (SEES)

Kevin Wellman                                     Chartered Institute of Plumbing & Heating Engineering (CIPHE)

John Slaughter                                     External Affairs Director, Future Homes Hub

Danielle Michalska-Morris                  Group Technical Innovation Manager, Barratt Redrow

 

From the event sponsors:

Tony Gordon                                         Managing Director, Showersave

Dan Lintell                                             Sustainability Manager, Triton Showers

Simon Gibbins                                      Key Account Manager, Residential, Hansgrohe International

The full report on the round table, as well as a podcast capturing some of the key sections of the debate, will be available soon at: insights.netmagmedia.co.uk