ROUND TABLE REVIEW: SOLUTIONS FOR WATER & ENERGY SAVING IN COMMERCIAL ENVIRONMENTS 17
Solutions for Water & Energy Saving in Commercial Environments
W
ith global water supply struggling against climate and population change, and changes in usage, water is in the spotlight. Buildings account for around 15% of drinking
water, so exploring ways to leverage water saving in new and existing projects, is fundamental. Smarter solutions and appliances can achieve results for clients, including in the commercial sector, but what are the direct ‘carrots’ and ‘sticks’ for them to engage? The need to reduce water use in appliances and fi xtures in commercial environments is becoming increasingly acute, and is partly about minimising leaks. Our round table agreed that the issue was seen as secondary to carbon savings, when it should be linked. Tackling leaks in existing premises is being homed in on by Government: Defra has set a goal for a 9% reduction by 2038, and 15% by 2050. Despite these seeming modest targets, they are in fact challenging in the absence of strong supply-side drivers. Delegates said Government was keen to link such initiatives to its growth agenda, and highlighted savings that can be made on the billions of losses due to water wastage. As well as an 80 litres per person per day target it is proposing water reuse strategies, but while the domestic sector has specifi c levers such as Part G, there is little direct regulation for workplaces, retail and other settings, to drive specifi cation of water recycling, and reduced fl ow showers for example. Our round table brought the water industry face to face with construction specifi ers, industry bodies and product manufacturers to dive into the issues, and explore realistic bottom- up as well as top-down solutions. The industry-led ‘unifi ed water label’ that was introduced for appliances morphed into an independently-run commercial service to assist specifi ers seeking specifi c water reduction measures. As a result, the industry lacks a national, mandatory water label to help to force change by raising the bar on effi ciency. However, our delegate from Thames Water, Andrew Tucker, revealed that Government is planning a mandatory label in coming months – the previous administration promised such a label would arrive in 2025, but its future was previously in doubt.
The debate: Who is responsible for water regulation? The round table, chaired by editor of ADF, James Parker, focused on solutions but also quickly addressed the glaring lack of standards or regulation on commercial premises. The chair asked the group: “What is driving commercial sector clients to invest in water effi ciency savings currently?” Andrew Tucker said there was a “near complete absence of big policy and regulation drivers and targets in this space,” despite the potential levers. Consultant Naomi Sadler asked: “We have a problem with
scarcity, why are we not limiting fl ow rates on products in regulation?” Tucker said the answer was down to a gap in
ROUND TABLE ATTENDEES • Dr Christine Pout, Water & Energy Development Lead, BREEAM
• Tom Reynolds, Chief Executive, Bathroom Manufacturers Association (BMA)
• 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 EVENT SPONSORS • Richard Braid, Managing Director, Cistermiser • David Davis, Technical Director, eco-cistem • Sponsor: Delabie UK
ADF MAY 2025
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