complex filtration or chemical systems and therefore offer very low maintenance. These systems work by collecting water from the bath and/or shower in a tank. A skimmer then removes light surface materials whilst heavier particles sink and are flushed away with the waste. The remaining ‘clean’ water is then drawn from the middle of the tank and transferred to a storage vessel where it can be used to flush the toilet. A tank can store 100 litres of water, which is enough for approximately 15 toilet flushes. Micro greywater management systems are rapidly becoming accepted for
Water Savings
Graham Fisher, Business Development Director at CME Sanitary Systems, looks at how greywater recycling is helping the construction industry to meet the higher levels of the Code for Sustainable Homes.
April this year saw the increased requirement for public sector new
builds to achieve Level 4 on the Code for Sustainable Homes, putting extra pressure on social housing providers and developers to achieve enhanced levels of sustainability. It is now mandatory too for private house builders to meet Level 3 requirements of the Code. The Code sets guidelines for water consumption levels to be decreased to 105 litres per person per day, to achieve Levels 3 and 4. For Levels 5 and 6 to be achieved no more than 80 litres of water per person per day should be used. The challenge being faced by house builders is that homeowners enjoy
the luxury of power showers and deep baths and are therefore reluctant to give them up. In many larger properties all bedrooms have en-suites, often with showers, and the construction industry is being forced to look at ways to reduce water use without compromising on bathroom facilities. With the environment agency now planning to introduce water meters to at least 75 per cent of households by 2025, homeowners will be made much more aware of their personal water use. Greywater recycling systems are being welcomed for their benefits in recycling bath and shower water to flush a number of WCs. Such systems provide an effective method of reducing water usage by
around a third whilst still retaining the luxury features that potential buyers and occupiers of a home have come to expect. Greywater recycling systems work by reusing bath and shower water to
flush WCs. On average one third of domestic water use per person is for bathing and showering and one third for flushing the toilet with a typical greywater system reducing water use by 30 per cent. Micro greywater systems are becoming more popular as they use no
their benefits in terms of water conservation and reduction in water bills. Indeed, for many house builders, they provide a guaranteed way of meeting the new legislation without having to compromise on bathroom luxuries or carry out complex water usage calculations. Many house builders prefer to incorporate greywater systems as they can be more reliable than, for example, rainwater harvesting which is dependent on regular rainfall. David Wilson Homes recently specified greywater systems for a number
of properties at its Greenfields development in Overton, near Basingstoke, demonstrating how it is possible to retain luxury fittings in the bathroom whilst still achieving the required number of credits. Here, greywater recycling was one of the criteria of the planning application. Use of greywater systems guarantees compliance with legislation and, as
water reduction is one of the main areas where credits can be achieved on the Code, many more housing providers are installing these types of systems. For example, the weighting factor in the Code means that the five credits available for potable water reduction account for nine per cent of the total possible points score available. Added to the increasingly stringent requirements of the Code for Sustainable Homes are proposed changes to Part G of Building Regulations, which also came into effect in April 2010. This covers sanitation, water efficiency and safety and sets a minimum water efficiency standard for all new homes. It also allows, for the first time, recycled water to be approved for use in applications where it is not necessary for water to be treated to the same high standard as that required for drinking purposes. This means that the construction industry is now being actively encouraged to look at sustainable systems for recycling water. As legislation begins to tighten on existing buildings, greywater systems enable house builders to meet future water usage requirements before they become mandatory. The increasing requirements of the Code for Sustainable Homes are just one example of the priority of restricting water use per person in creating a sustainable living environment. As well as the obvious water saving benefits of this type of system,
greywater recycling offers excellent lifetime values. With an expected lifespan of at least 20 years a typical greywater system can pay for itself in as little as six years, depending on the geographic location of the building and the prices charged by the utility company. By installing a greywater system developers can make their properties
more appealing to buyers, as well as playing their part in conserving scarce resources. This helps to create more sustainable homes that have a lower carbon footprint, making them more attractive and affordable to run in the long term.
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