Construction must take water scarcity seriously

UN Sustainable Development Goal 6 highlights the importance of ensuring the availability and sustainable management of clean water and sanitation for all. Everyone has a role to play in this, including governments and regulators, product manufacturers, water companies and consumers, developers/housebuilders, and facilities managers. 

So this Water Saving Week, I’d like to highlight the role of the built environment industry in protecting our precious resources of freshwater and ensuring water efficiency. 

Water is a finite resource in growing demand

Access to safe water is the most basic human need but water scarcity is a growing issue on every continent and is affecting poorer communities the most. Demand for water is rising due to population growth, urbanisation and the increasing water needs of agriculture and industry, but inadequate investment in infrastructure is also a concern. 

With demand for water outpacing population growth, more than half the world’s population is already experiencing severe water scarcity at least one month per year. This will worsen due to global climate change, with water supply becoming more unpredictable and terrestrial water storage in decline, alongside the increasing frequency of high temperature weather events.

An integrated approach to managing water scarcity is required and this must include strong efforts to reduce demand. By doing so, we can build resilience and serve a growing population, without exacerbating damage to the natural environment.

Policymakers must prioritise water

The policy context will vary considerably around the world, but if ambitious water efficiency measures remain no more than an option in new build homes, the large-scale changes needed to significantly reduce water consumption may not happen. 

For example, in Australia, a Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards scheme has been in place for nearly 20 years to encourage more efficient household water use and reduce demand by informing consumers about water efficiency at the point of sale. Builders are required to ensure all regulated products are registered and labelled correctly when the home is shown to prospective purchasers. If this requirement is not met, the builder can be subject to legal penalties or compliance and enforcement action.

The UK Government is due to introduce a Mandatory Water Efficiency Labelling Scheme in 2025, linked to minimum fittings standards, to drive reductions in water use. The recent publication of the Future Homes Hub ‘Water Ready’ Report in the UK, which calls on Government to publish a 10-year roadmap setting out increasing water efficiency targets implemented through Building Regulations in 2025, 2030 and 2035, also provides a welcome focus on this issue. 

The built environment is key to reducing demand

Reducing demand for water isn’t the responsibility of just one sector, but the construction industry does have a significant role to play in increasing the water efficiency of new and existing homes and other buildings. 

New development

New development should minimise the additional pressure placed on water supplies and the water environment, especially where they are already under stress. To do this, new development must be highly water-efficient or water neutral in areas with current or future water stress.

Increased ambition by policymakers and water efficiency standards for new development, collaboration between authorities, developers and wholesale water companies, incentive schemes that encourage developers to go further on water efficiency, and innovation to reduce costs and increase the quality of water-using products will all be critical.

Existing buildings

If we want to significantly reduce water demand, we must improve water efficiency and reduce waste in existing buildings. Many water-saving measures have the potential to also reduce energy use, saving customers money on their energy bills, and contributing to climate targets.

Existing in-home water saving programmes must be significantly scaled up and a whole building approach to retrofit that also considers water use alongside energy could significantly accelerate progress, with programmes to work with landlords and housing providers so that tenants don’t miss out on the benefits of water efficiency measures.

Saving water on-site

Water can be in high demand on-site for processes like dust suppression, material production and concrete washout, and sometimes potable water is used for processes that don’t require it. 

Efforts must be made to ensure water is not wasted on-site through a range of measures, which might typically include:

• developing a site Water Management Plan to implement the water hierarchy - anticipate water need, consider ways to reduce demand, and identify processes where recycled or non-potable water can be used
• using water meters on-site to understand water consumption and identify leaks early as well as site inspections to eliminate waste
• identifying a water champion to educate site teams through signage, awareness, and toolbox talks
• examining processes such as wheel washing, material production, concrete washing out, and dust suppression to identify opportunities for reduction and use of recycled, harvested, or non-potable water
• using robust trigger guns on hoses to ensure flow is controlled and water is not left running, and
• putting water efficiency measures in place in welfare facilities.

Key message

It's high time water efficiency was given equal standing with energy efficiency and the construction sector has a role to play in not only how it uses water during the construction process, but also in designing and creating buildings that are water efficient for their users. 

We would like to better understand the barriers and challenges to ensuring new build development delivers more ambitious standards of water efficiency and are keen to hear from members with expertise in this topic as well as those with examples of best practice case studies to share from anywhere in the world. Get in touch: [email protected]