A recent construction industry round table discovered that drives to specify innovative water saving products such as sanitaryware were being hampered by a lack of regulation in the commercial sector, as well as a host of other issues.
The recent Building Insights LIVE construction industry round table, held at London’s Institute of Directors, was a unique opportunity for construction sector firms to discuss how to drive best practice and innovation in water conservation, however heard that it was currently a major challenge in the UK’s commercial buildings. The group, featuring sustainability consultants, water companies, accreditation bodies and product suppliers, also looked at the potential to link water saving aims to lower carbon goals in projects as a means to improve progress.
The event was sponsored by three players supplying water saving solutions across the commercial sector; water controls and sanitaryware manufacturers Cistermiser and Delabie, and eco-cistem, who developed an innovative water reuse solution using air conditioning condensate. They all proposed key questions for the debate which raised practical challenges and sparked further discussion.
Some of the key drivers for water saving across the commercial sector which were identified included the rollout of smart metering by water authorities currently and in the future, which would show clients why they would need to invest in more efficient appliances. In addition, delegates pinpointed the role of water ‘retailers’ in the industry, working between water companies and clients, as fundamental to embracing best practice for efficiency, in the absence of adequate Government regulation for the commercial sector. Strategic approaches were discussed such as a ‘water hierarchy’ but there were also disagreements around priorities such as on the potential for rainwater harvesting.
Andrew Tucker, Water Demand Reduction Manager at Thames Water made some trenchant comments at the event bemoaning “missed opportunities” to provide more regulation, and also posed the key question on central accountability: “Does anyone know who owns water regulation? Where is the ‘big stick’?” Manufacturers around the table had major concerns around the delays to testing and other issues which were preventing the takeup of innovative solutions in the sector, and conflicting demands such as within WRAS approval.
However, despite the challenges identified at the round table, several examples of progress, and innovative thinking from consultants working closely to engage clients, were aired. The learnings will provide a lot of food for thought for those working in the sector, and will be published in ADF magazine in the May issue, as well as selected highlights in a special Building Insights podcast.
The round table’s chair, James Parker, commented: “This was a highly specialised, lively debate of key importance to both future design and to the supply chain in the UK, however it also revealed some difficult challenges still unsolved in order to free up innovation in specifying water saving solutions. Our discussion showed that water companies are in a pivotal position, but that their imperative to add capacity for developers while encouraging as much water saving as possible is a tricky balance. Only by collaborating with the construction sector such as at our event can such thorny issues be resolved.”
The full list of delegates for the Building Insights LIVE round table was:
Dr Christine Pout, Water & Energy Development Lead, BREEAM
Tom Reynolds, Chief Executive, Bathroom Manufacturers Association
George Warren, Integrated Water Manager, Anglian Water
Beth Robinson, Principal Consultant, Turner & Townsend
Chris Brooks, Head of Water Reduction, Save Money Cut Carbon (SMCC)
Edward Barnes, Managing Director, Magna Consulting
Andrew Tucker, Water Demand Reduction Manager, Thames Water
Naomi Sadler, Director, Sadler Energy & Environmental Services
From the sponsors, attendees were:
Richard Braid, Managing Director, Cistermiser
David Davis, Technical Director, eco-cistem
A Building Insights podcast capturing some of the key sections of the debate, will be available at: insights.netmagmedia.co.uk