Paul Pickford | COMMENT AND OPINION
PAUL PICKFORD OPINION
Billions of litres of water are lost through leakage every day in the UK because of ageing infrastructure. Planning for the future impact of water shortages and how to minimise them is critical. Paul Pickford, director of innovation, product and marketing at Aqualisa, considers what the industry can do
Water shortages will shape our future A
It is entirely possible to extract the heat before water is
to recover waste water and clean
Environment Agency chief Sir James Bevan has warned that England is set to run out of water in 25 years’ time, saying that we are staring into “the jaws of death”. This is where critical demand and lack of supply will meet, intensifi ed by a growing population and the effects of climate change. Although the leakage fi gures have improved since their peak in the mid-1990s, we haven’t seen any impactful change to water waste reduction since 2001.
Ageing infrastructure
The most obvious culprit for water leakage in the UK is the legacy water infrastructure inherited from the Victorian era. But who is responsible for its upkeep and upgrading it? Well, that would be the private water companies for the most part – nine out of 20 of which missed their leakage reduction targets for 2017/18, despite the fi nes imposed by Ofwat. Worn and corroded infrastructure is not only costly to
repair, but almost impossible to detect until it starts leaking and the damage is done. And, according to the regulator,
Aqualisa’s Visage Digital Divert smart shower has an ‘eco’ mode that is said to reduce water usage by 33%
it’s cheaper for these companies to accept the water loss and the fi nes than to investigate and repair at-risk legacy piping. All of which further exacerbates the water shortage problem. Homeowners are also respon- sible, in part, for wastage from leaks. Many of our customers are simply unaware that they own, and are responsible for, the upkeep and repair of the part of the supply pipes that runs under their property.
This means these pipes are not being checked or managed until a burst actually happens – and repairs are costly.
What can be done? At Aqualisa, our business is showers. Showering has been estimated to be the largest component of domestic water consumption. The average number of showers per day has grown to 1.2 in 2018 and that will grow to 1.3 by 2025. With around 24 million showers currently installed in homes across England and
August 2019 · kbbreview
s a shower company, consumer water usage is paramount to Aqualisa’s business, but research highlights some concerning fi gures regarding the volume of water lost through leaks. Water regulator Ofwat reported that fi gures for leakage from the ageing water systems in England and Wales stood at 3.1 billion litres per day for 2017/18.
Wales, that’s a huge potential for growing water usage – and therefore huge scope for improvement. It’s our responsibility as manufacturers to design products that help save water.
For new installations, digital shower technology has the capability to add smart adaptations to systems with water-saving benefi ts.
At Aqualisa, environmental consciousness is a core factor in our company strategy and, as part of this, we have designed products that help our customers save water. We’ve introduced an ‘eco’ mode setting for all of our digital models that can save close to a third of average water use per shower.
Our Q product has sensors that reduce the water fl ow if you step away to apply soap or shave, etc. This range also has the option to set maximum showering times and the ability to track water usage, so that water conservation can be part of our customer’s lifestyle.
A water-conscious future
Looking to the future of shower design, entirely new concepts and solutions are being developed that could revolutionise systems in the way that electric, then digital, showers have changed the industry in the past. Showers require energy to heat water and then this used water is fl ushed to waste. It is entirely possible to extract the heat before the water is fl ushed away and to recover waste water and clean and fi lter it for reuse. Designers are exploring shower recycling technology to achieve this – which I for one predict will become the primary water-saving solution in years to come. As a business, we can look for innovative concepts in
water-saving solutions that benefi t the market and the consumer. New systems will need to encompass ease of installation if they are to be adopted by the construction and supplier industries. They must also offer improvements to the shower experience to balance the cost and inconvenience for our customers of overhauling less effi cient systems in older buildings.
The future implications of the water shortage are immense. From rising bills for the consumer as water companies are forced to replace thousands of miles of leaky legacy piping, to potential rationing of this vital resource, disrupting lifestyles, manufacturing, agriculture, and beyond.
For those of us in the bathroom industry, the challenge is within the realms of design innovation. Our products must provide eco-friendly solutions to help combat wastage without compromising the quality of experience for the consumer.
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