Water scarcity is increasingly becoming a housing and infrastructure concern, driven by population growth, regional water stress, ageing infrastructure and changing weather patterns. As pressure on water supplies grows, water efficiency is becoming a genuine design and compliance consideration for new homes and major refurbishment projects. Regulations are beginning to reflect this shift. Water efficiency is being more closely linked to building performance, compliance, and long-term system operation, particularly as the industry moves towards lower-carbon housing.
Water scarcity refers to a situation where the demand for water puts pressure on the available supply. This does not necessarily mean the UK is ‘running out’ of water, but it does mean that managing consumption more carefully is becoming increasingly important to protect future supply, reduce strain on infrastructure, and support long-term sustainability.
UNDERSTANDING PART G AND WATER EFFICIENCY
Part G of the Building Regulations sets out requirements relating to sanitation, hot water safety, and water efficiency within dwellings. Currently, the standard baseline target for water consumption in new homes is 125 litres/person/ day. There is also an optional tighter target of 110 litres/person/day, which local authorities may adopt in areas experiencing higher levels of water stress.
These targets are based on the property’s total predicted water usage, meaning fittings such as taps, showers, baths, and WCs all contribute towards overall compliance calculations. Specification decisions made early within the design stage can have a significant impact on whether a project achieves the required efficiency targets, particularly as government consultations indicate that tighter water efficiency standards are likely to become more common within future newbuild housing.
WHAT COULD TIGHTER WATER TARGETS MEAN?
As water efficiency targets become more demanding, the selection of fittings and overall system design is likely to come under greater scrutiny. Lower flow rates may help reduce overall water consumption, but systems must still maintain acceptable levels of comfort, pressure, and usability for occupants. This creates an important balancing act between compliance and real-world performance.
For specifiers and installers, there is an increasing need to balance water efficiency targets with overall system usability and occupant expectations. Pressure management is likely to become increasingly important within these lower-consumption systems. Without stable and controlled pressure, reduced-flow outlets may struggle to deliver consistent performance across the property, particularly during periods of varying demand.
Products such as pressure reducing valves (PRVs) can play an important role in helping maintain controlled water pressure while also supporting water efficiency and protecting downstream components. Alongside this, the specification of efficient outlets, thermostatic mixing valves (TMVs), and balanced system design can all influence how effectively a system performs under tighter consumption targets. As homes become more reliant on highly efficient heating and hot water systems, maintaining both efficiency and occupant comfort will remain a key consideration for specifiers and installers alike.
WHY WATER QUALITY MATTERS
As homes become more focused on water efficiency, maintaining good water quality will remain essential to protecting long-term system performance. Lower flow rates and reduced water turnover can increase the risk of scale, sludge, corrosion, and microbiological contamination developing within the system, particularly if water quality is not properly managed.
In hard water areas especially, scale build-up around heat exchangers and hot water components can gradually reduce efficiency and restrict system performance over time. Poor circulation and fouling can also place additional strain on pumps, valves, and other key components.
As a result, measures such as correct system flushing, water treatment, and ongoing maintenance are likely to become increasingly important within modern low-flow systems. Solutions such as dirt separators and deaerators can help maintain cleaner system water and improved circulation, supporting more reliable long-term operation, particularly within modern low-temperature heating systems and heat pump installations.
As water-saving measures become more common, ensuring systems remain clean, balanced, and properly protected will play an increasingly important role in maintaining both efficiency and occupant comfort.
FUTURE-PROOFING HOMES
While final regulatory changes are still evolving, the direction of travel is becoming increasingly clear. Future homes are likely to face greater expectations around sustainability, resource efficiency, and overall building performance.
For project teams, future-proofing schemes may increasingly involve selecting efficient water fittings earlier within the design process, considering pressure control and flow management solutions, and ensuring systems are properly protected against poor water quality and inefficient operation. Expansion vessels, pressure reducing valves, thermostatic controls, and water quality solutions may all play a role in helping systems continue to operate efficiently while supporting future compliance requirements.
Ultimately, water efficiency is no longer solely about reducing consumption figures. It is becoming part of a wider conversation around system performance, resilience, compliance, and customer experience within modern housing. As regulations continue to evolve and efficiency expectations increase, water usage is becoming a more significant consideration within the design, specification, and operation of modern homes.
Meeting future water efficiency targets will require more than simply reducing flow rates. It will rely on carefully balancing compliance, performance, water quality, and occupant expectations to ensure homes remain both efficient and practical for long-term use. As industry continues adapting to changing environmental and regulatory pressures, designing systems that use water more intelligently is likely to become increasingly important.
www.altecnic.co.uk