Progress Update since we launched communal rainwater harvesting in the UK
29/04/25
Introduction
We first launched our Communal Rainwater Harvesting solution in 2022 and a lot has happened since then! If you did not know, our communal approach is our answer to achieving water reuse in residential settings. It is one system that feeds multiple properties with a supply of sustainable rainwater.
We identified a need for this solution based on our experiences in the market over the past two decades. This experience highlighted to us that a communal approach was required due to the significantly reduced installation costs, an improved approached to the system’s lifetime aftercare, and the ability to link up with smart attenuation systems.
Since launch, the approach is gaining more and more traction and attention. This blog will summarise the key progress milestone that have been achieved since we launched this and what still needs to happen before widescale implementation can occur.
Why is Communal Rainwater Harvesting needed?
Demand for new sustainable homes is rapidly increasing year on year and there is a need for urgent action to prevent an even larger water deficit than is already forecasted. To keep up with housing demand, the new government have pledged to deliver 1.5 million new homes over the next 5 years.
As these additional properties are constructed, the pressure on water resources will continue to grow. With an average occupancy of 2.4 people per home in the UK and current regulations mandating a usage of 125 LPPPD (Litres per person per day), this will mean an additional demand of 450,000,000 litres a day by 2030 just from these new 1.5 million domestic properties
Key Updates
Over the past couple of years, lots of work has been completed by many organisations around Communal Rainwater Harvesting, including:
- Enabling Water Smart Communities - Water Reuse in new housing: Understanding the business case
- Future Homes Hub - Water Ready Report
- UKWRA - Briefing Note
- Government – Commitment to changing Part G of the Building Regulations
Let’s take a brief look at some of this progress!
EWSC- Understanding the Business Case
Enabling Water Smart Communities, the Ofwat funded innovation project also recently produced a business case for water reuse. This business case was designed to investigate the cost of installing water reuse systems in new housing developments on a per property basis and compare the costs of communal style systems to individual plot systems.
The business case report found that Communal Rainwater Harvesting “Indeed appears to be more cost-effective than on-plot rainwater harvesting at all development scales”. Evidence highlighted that the average cost of a communal system on a per property basis was found to be £2,000; whereas the equivalent costs for individual plot systems were £4,000.
Collectively, these costs highlight the business case for housing developers to use the communal approach.
Future Homes Hub – Water Ready Report
Last year, the Future Homes Hub released their “Water Ready Report” which was aimed at providing a roadmap for the UK Government to improve water sustainability in new homes. This report marked a major step forward for the integration of water reuse in new housing developments.
In terms of the communal approach, the report found that there was cross-industry consensus for implementing communal style systems over individual plot systems. This was due to cost-effectiveness and the higher likelihood that proper aftercare would be carried out.
As well as giving a perspective on the style of system, the report also set out a national roadmap for water efficiency ratings in new homes. The water efficiency roadmap stated that new homes would need to be specified to 90 LPPPD usage by as early as 2035, identifying the clear need for water reuse.
Overall, this report was a vote of confidence for communal systems and showed that they are not only viable, but they are also key to achieving sustainable growth within new housing developments.
UKWRA – Briefing Note
In addition to the Water Ready Report, the UK Water Reuse Association recently launched their latest briefing note which highlighted the need for widescale implementation of water reuse in new homes and offered an overview of the current regulatory environment.
In terms of the need for reuse technologies, the briefing note found that if every new property built from 2026 incorporated rainwater harvesting or greywater recycling, we could save over 1 billion litres of water per day by 2050. This is equivalent to 20.5% of the predicted 5 billion litre deficit.
Another key takeaway is the call for regulatory updates to enable water companies and NAVs to provide a dual pipework supply into properties. Water companies supplying anything other than “wholesome” water is currently prohibited under the Water Industry Act 1991.
Overall, this new briefing note sends a clear message to government on how water reuse can make a difference and the key enabling actions required to help with implementation.
Government – Review of current legislative barriers
Collectively, the above pieces of work have enabled the UK Government to identify the clear need for action in relation to communal water reuse. As a result of this, the new administration has recently renewed their commitment to carry out the necessary work to review legislative barriers relating to water reuse, as stated within the 2023 Plan for Water.
Summary
With all the progress relating to Communal Rainwater Harvesting, we are confident that the UK Government will make the necessary changes to the regulatory environment. We are inviting Water Companies, NAVS and Housing Developers to get ahead of the curve to see how water reuse could work on their developments. If you would like to find out more, book a discovery call here.
