An industry event this week highlighted the stark contrast between the emergency facing the UK on water shortages, and concerted action across the commercial sector. Delegates shared how water efficiencies in new build and refurbished commercial properties, by stopping leaks in appliances and plumbing and introducing innovative water saving solutions, could save millions of pounds while cutting carbon emissions. However they reported that little had changed in a year since the last Building Insights LIVE round table on the subject.
This week’s event, held in London, was sponsored by Delabie and Cistermiser, and discovered that the intervening period had seen scarce action from Government in terms of regulation being necessary to change the culture in the commercial sector to prioritise water saving. This was despite a recent Defra response to the Cunliffe Report pledging to roll out smart metering and support a new mandatory efficiency water label for products, and the 9% savings target in the Environment Act.
The event brought together voices from the water sector and construction to again share key examples of industry innovation, but also to review the positives and shortcomings of the recent Defra White Paper. It looked at how water companies such as Thames Water have made major investments in smart metering in the commercial sector, and how the resulting data on potential economic and carbon savings would be used to help commercial clients buy into water saving innovation.
The group included two water wholesalers (Thames Water and Anglian Water), industry bodies The Bathroom Association, MOSL, Waterwise and Weir: The Agency, and construction sector representatives from BAM Construction, JLL, Arup, BREEAM, building surveyor SEES, and Save Money Cut Carbon. Also present were senior figures from sponsors Delabie UK and Cistermiser, adding practical insight from projects in the commercial arena.
This expert multi-disciplinary group made a series of recommendations, including stronger regulations, such as a Part G of the Building Regulations purely for the commercial sector. England faces a 5 billion litre shortfall in water supplies by 2055, and there are associated carbon benefits in any water saving project, however action on the ground in the commercial sector remains patchy and driven by enlightened clients and design teams, the group agreed. With competition for water being accelerated by data centre expansion nationally, the urgency was even greater to make water efficiency a priority.
James Parker, event chair and editor of Architects’ Datafile magazine, commented:
“Revisiting this key, and yet neglected resilience issue for the construction sector and the wider economy was revealing and yet concerning. Our fantastic panel articulated the challenges that remain, nearly a year since the last round table, with the commercial sector sorely lacking in regulation to drive water saving, despite the huge shortages predicted nationally in the coming decades.”
He concluded: “The delegates revealed that there are substantial economic benefits for commercial sector clients, but that industry innovation such as smart meter rollouts by water companies seemed far likelier to be the solution than leadership from Government. The round table explored how that innovation could be fostered, but also why the Government has to get more involved, including coupling water saving to the obvious consequence of carbon saving, which dominates the agenda.”
The full list of attendees was as follows:
Attendees:
James Fisher Head of Strategic Partnerships, BREEAM
Andrew Tucker Water Demand Reduction Manager, Thames Water
Naomi Sadler Director, Sadler Energy & Environmental Services
Garry Beaver Programme Manager, Anglian Water
Kate Fletcher Director, Arup
Daphne Doody-Green CEO, The Bathroom Association
Jane Bellard Co-Founder, Weir: The Agency
Chris Brooks Head of Water Reduction, Save Money Cut Carbon
Liz D’Arcy Head of Data Insight & Analytics, MOSL
Claire Spendley Head of Finance and Commercial Services, Waterwise
Matt Wilkinson Director of Climate Services, JLL
Victoria Hughes Sustainable Business Partner, BAM Construct UK & Ireland
Sponsors’ Attendees:
Aaron Bayfield Regional Sales Manager, Delabie UK
Richard Braid Managing Director, Cistermiser
A Building Insights podcast capturing highlights and recommendations from the discussion, will be available at: insights.netmagmedia.co.uk