CARBON NEUTRAL BUILDINGS
Britain must believe that water is not a limitless resource
Cold, wet summers are becoming a distant memory.
T
he recent run of UK summer hot, dry spells means that water usage restrictions, such as hose pipe bans and requests from water companies to minimise usage are becoming an annual occurrence. Despite this there is still a perception by many that as a natural resource, water should be freely available.
‘Behaviour change’ campaigns have limited success beyond immediate response to crises – but regular water usage must be cut if the UK is not to enter a water crisis.
Compared to 1990 summers are hotter and up to 60% drier1
. The
reality is that with the growing population, increasing daily consumption and changing climate the UK will experience significant water shortfalls. In England this is predicted to be 5 billion litres per day by 20552
Without the threat of an immediate crisis, behaviour change is hard, and water usage is not understood. In the UK average daily usage is 142L, but 46% of people believe that their household uses under 20L per day3
. Water
meters, especially smart meters, can help understanding of water usage and has been shown to reduce consumption4
.
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
26 Summer 2026 M40
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.
Saving water, without behaviour change
.
Water meters are a start. However, to significantly reduce UK consumption of water further, savings need to be built in. With Groundbreaker’s NRv2 LoFlo, we can reduce our water usage every time we use a tap, without even noticing.
Water companies are regulated to provide a minimum standard of pressure and flow of water, but in many areas due to network structure and gravity fed systems supply is much greater. So, run a hose for five minutes at the bottom of the hill, and your lawn will be greener than the gardener that does the same at the top. These ‘time controlled’ uses, e.g. teeth cleaning, taking a shower, running a tap to rinse dishes could be standardised down if all households received the same acceptable, ‘standardised’ supply.
Groundbreaker’s NRv2 LoFlo regulates the level of flow entering customer premises – regardless
of network pressure, meaning a reduction in the level of water used by customers when ‘variable use’ appliances are used. As the flow 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, leading to ‘natural’ reduction in per capital consumption4
. Saving water, saving money
Designing water efficient homes can be a financial benefit as well as protecting the environment and water supplies.
In all new properties, developers will be given financial rewards for designing in basic water conservation measures, including low volume dual flush toilets, low flow taps and showers and water efficient washing machines and dishwashers. Known as the Common Environmental Incentive, developers will receive a rebate of £172 per property for achieving these standards.
In addition, some water companies offer extra financial incentives for the installation of a whole site flow regulator. Meeting the enhanced incentive standard, can mean receiving an additional rebate of £100 for an outlay of a maximum of £305
.
Groundbreaker – smart solutions for water management & connectivity
www.groundbreaker.co.uk 1.
weather.metoffice.gov.uk/climate-change/climate-change-in-the-uk
2.
www.gov.uk/government/news/england-faces-5-billion-litre-public- water-shortage-by-2055-without-urgent-action
3.
www.water.org.uk/news-views-publications/news/vast-majority-brits- have-no-idea-how-much-water-they-use-each-day
4.
smartwatermagazine.com/news/thames-water/were-committed- maximising-value-technology-weve-developed-thames-water
5.
www.unitedutilities.com/builders-developers/your-development/ environmental-incentives-scheme
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