Two years ago, Building Insights LIVE held its first round table bringing the construction supply chain together with housebuilders, consultants and water experts to look at the crucial need to bring water saving in new housing up the agenda in an era of water scarcity. This week, we again convened an expert panel including sponsors Altecnic, Hansgrohe International and Mira Showers, together with volume housebuilders Barratt Redrow and Berkeley Group, plus a range of water saving advocates, to look at how far the industry had come in the interim.
With the expected updated Part G of the Building Regulations still failing to materialise, but instead the Government producing a Mandatory Water Label for products (despite a ‘Unified Water Label’ already existing in the industry), there was consternation around the table on the lack of regulation to drive water saving in new buildings. Several delegates offered candid comments around the central approaches currently being seen, such as the Mandatory Water Label, but also the lack of control on inferior appliances being sold into the industry.
On the other hand, the attendees also offered key solutions, from flow restrictors to taps and electric and gas-heated shower systems, while acknowledging challenges around balancing customers’ function expectations with the increasing calls for lower per person limits on water. Concerns were also raised around the need to provide more drivers, as well as ‘carrots’ and ‘sticks’ which were appropriate in areas suffering most drought issues.
The round table explored many of the macro issues, particularly around growing knowledge of the water saving issue among consumers, who drive housebuilder behaviour, and the role of organisations such as Ofwat in doing this. Also, the issue of skills shortages among plumbers – the ultimate solutions specifiers, alongside the need for greater rigour including potential licensing of plumbers to end specification of poor product, was highlighted.
And several delegates defended the need to integrate water savings into the dominant agenda of carbon savings, such as via EPCs, to ensure that water is not the poor relation in the future resilience arguments around schemes. Some pilot projects were shared of innovative water saving solutions, from the positive to the less successful, showing part of the importance of bringing such an informed group together, including housebuilders pursuing water limits per property far lower than proposed Part G guidance.
James Parker, editor of Housebuilder and Developer commented:
“While it has been disappointing to see the lack of Government action on Part G, and the controversy around the new Water Label being introduced, our round table showed that there are pockets of good practice emerging among housebuilders which are helping to move the dial towards lower usage. While attendees agreed that water saving barely registers on many homebuyers’ agenda currently, with the severe water supply constraints on the horizon, both housebuilders and the supply chain need to urgently collaborate to try and provide appropriate as well as functionally acceptable solutions.”
NOTE: The day after the round table took place, the Government announced eight new regional water councils which bring “local leaders, customers and businesses” together with water companies to set investment priorities for their region, including around tackling drought.
A podcast featuring the highlights of the round table will be available at: insights.netmagmedia.co.uk