As it launches a consultation on the topic, the government has stated that tweaks to Building Regulations to strengthen water efficiency standards will drive housebuilding as well as saving homeowners money.
The proposal from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs would mean new homes would be fitted with water-saving features such as aerated taps and showerheads, and dual-flush toilets. The new efficiency rules will tackle water shortage bottlenecks and unblock stalled developments in areas of water scarcity, which in turn will help deliver the pledge of building 1.5million homes by 2030.
These simple measures would mean water usage equivalent to 20 litres per person per day, said the government, and see an additional 1,000 new homes unlocked for every 5,250 homes built. Analysis has revealed that this could save £111 a year on energy and water bills in new homes.
Environment Secretary, Emma Reynolds, said: “We are getting Britain building faster, and a key element to growth is smarter water consumption. Removing the water shortage barriers that have stalled development for too long will mean unlocking thousands of new homes while saving families money.
“Not only will this make customer bills cheaper; it will protect the environment and unlock thousands of new homes as part of our Plan for Change.”
The announcement said that the 12-week consultation looks to amend the current Building Regulations 2010 Part G2, which are insufficient to meet the parallel challenges of housing delivery and water conservation.
The measures will support the government’s commitment to reduce water usage in England by 20% per person per day by 2038. Future innovations, such as using harvested rainwater to flush home toilets, are also being considered in a call to evidence that is running alongside the consultation.
This government announcement also stated that England has seen seven consecutive months of below-average rainfall, with five areas in drought and more expected to follow soon despite the recent rain.
Dr Tom Dollard, chair of the Good Homes Alliance, has welcomed the consultation, saying: “Our membership is facing real challenges in delivering new homes due to a lack of water capacity in their areas. If we are to meet the Government housing delivery targets and unlock economic growth then we must start building more ‘water smart’ homes and neighbourhoods.
“We would like to see a refreshed Part G that is aligned to the water neutrality hierarchy, and a fittings-based approach combined with a water labelling scheme that would deliver water efficient homes at scale across the UK. We encourage all stakeholders from across industry to respond to this important consultation.”
Ed Lockhart, CEO of Future Homes Hub, commented: “Water shortages are already constraining housing growth and the water supply shortfall at national and regional levels will widen without concerted action.
“To sustain delivery of new homes at the levels required for everyone to have a decent home, homes need to become progressively more water efficient, alongside largescale investment in water infrastructure and demand management in other sectors.
“That is why the Future Homes Hub proposed a water efficiency roadmap for the new homes sector in the 2024 Water Ready report. We therefore welcome the government consulting on proposed efficiency measures and look forward to working with the government to ensure water efficiency can be implemented affordably at scale whilst delivering on customer expectations.”
