UTILITIES & SERVICES 47 Building for water security F
ollowing the dry summer of 2025, the Environment Agency has warned that even with average winter rainfall some areas in
Britain will still be in drought next spring, and despite the prolonged rainfall of the beginning of 2026, the UK is still recovering. The recent weather pattern variations can
only compound the existing concerns about the anticipated UK water defi cit. To off set the predicted daily defi cit of 4017 mega litres per day by 2050, major water companies have been developing plans to upgrade the UKs water supply and reduce current usage from 150 litres per person per day to 110. Smart meters are seen as a signifi cant part of the solution to reducing domestic water usage, Thames Water have recorded post installation savings of 12-17%, most major UK water companies have announced their plans for Advanced metering infrastructure, where all new connections or meters will replaced with the latest generation of smart meters.
GROUNDBREAKER – THE BEST LOCATION FOR SMART METERS Groundbreaker is an insulated, surface mounted enclosure for a secure water management system and smart water meter. This locates the meter above ground, providing a better environment for smart technology over traditional underground boundary boxes, extends signal transmission and allows easy meter exchange. The unique location of the Groundbreaker
water management system future proofs the network and minimises the risk of developing future leaks. The position of the meter allows for an unjointed water supply, hence maintaining the integrity of the supply. The use of an uninterrupted supply has been recognised as best practice by Water UK and the Home Builders Federation. In addition to new developments,
Groundbreaker is ideal for redevelopment or refurbishment of properties that have architectural or water supply structures that make traditional metering options impractical. This point of entry location makes it the
perfect solution for installation in existing properties with shared supply or challenging architecture. Its location on the building also means no street furniture or liability in the highway.
SAVE WATER, SAVE ENERGY, SAVE MONEY Stewart Clements, Director of the Heating & Hotwater Industry Council (HHIC) explained. “It’s important that those responsible for building new homes and for upgrading existing
homes – including both social and private housing providers and landlords – recognise the diff erent factors involved in minimising energy consumption and in making tomorrow’s homes the effi cient properties needed to achieve decarbonisation and reach the net zero target for 2050.”
household per year. This is equivalent to the CO2 emissions from driving more than 1,700 miles in
“The energy used to heat water for devices and appliances emits an average of 875kg of CO2
an average family car.” Energy Saving Trust
Whilst water effi cient appliances, i.e. dishwashers and washing machines, can reduce domestic water and energy usage, much of this hot water used in ‘time critical’ usage e.g. taking a shower or running the tap to rinse dishes.
LO-FLO – ADDITIONAL WATER SAVING, BUILT IN To further improve home water effi ciency, major water companies are also rolling out fl ow
per
regulating devices, such as Groundbreaker’s LoFlo. These modulate the level of fl ow entering premises – regardless of network pressure, meaning a reduction in the level of water used by customers when ‘variable use’ appliances (i.e., showers, taps, hosepipes). As the fl ow of water into the premises is limited, then the amount used by the customer is also limited – but without providing a degradation of service, and more importantly not requiring any intervention or behavioural change on the part of the customer. The NRv2 LoFlo can be easily and simply
fi tted to any meter installation or retrofi tted on meter exchange or when upgrading or remediating underground meter chambers. Thus, allowing Water Companies to manage demand with little or no impact on consumers and at minimal cost to the water undertakers. Whether it’s new build or redevelopment,
Groundbreaker has a range of products to design in water effi cient homes.
01379 741993
www.groundbreaker.co.uk
WWW.HBDONLINE.CO.UK
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