Revised details of the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs’ water reduction delivery plan were released in July. They include expanded details on the planned smart meter rollout, leakage commitments, and the Water White Paper measures. The DEFRA Water Demand Delivery Plan impacts specifiers working on general and inclusive bathrooms because it operates under tighter Building
Regulation Part G caps, introduces secondary legislation for mandatory product labelling, and encourages the alignment of fixtures with the Future Homes Standard.
Key specifications from the plan include:
• Tighter Part G limits: Mandatory minimum standards for new homes are shifting down to 105 litres/person/ day, dropping to 100 litres (the optional technical standard) in water-stressed regions.
• Mandatory Water Efficiency Labelling Scheme: When introduced, this planned rating system scheme on high-consumption products like WCs, taps, and showers will make verified flow and flush rates legally transparent at the point of choice.
• Fittings-based caps and outlets: The shift toward high-resolution Home Energy Model compliance will mean individual hot water and flow outputs for taps and showerheads will be under increased scrutiny.
• Baths and toilets: Standard luxury large-volume baths and single-flush or heavy dual-flush toilets will become a thing of the past, in favour of more compact configurations, air-powered/ aerated fixtures, and smart dual-flush mechanisms.
WHICH APPLIANCES TO FOCUS ON
As and when DEFRA’s proposals become policy, the underlying message is clear – water efficient products are the future and cannot be ignored. So, which products should be focused on in new general and inclusive bathroom installations and refurbishments?
SHOWERS
Showers are the biggest single contributor, using approximately 25-30% of a household’s water, followed closely by toilets at 20-25%. When it comes to energy- and water-saving in bathrooms, installing a reduced or variable flow electric unit that has different flow options makes sense, as it can be more cost effective in terms of the water saved over the shower’s lifespan. AKW’s WRASapproved, flow-limited showers help achieve impressive water savings, as well as promoting safe, reliable showering.
AKW’s SmartCare Plus, SmartCare Lever and iTherm electric care showers come with an eco-default setting (which can be over-ridden if needed) that limits flow rate to 6 litres/min. And the Arka TMV3 Mixer Shower water-saving model is fitted with a flow limiter for a maximum flow rate of 8 litres/min. They all offer specifiers and end users a durable showering solution that looks good but delivers in terms of its environmental credentials.
TOILETS
A standard modern toilet uses around 6 litres of water per flush. Newer dual-flush models are more efficient and can save a significant amount of water over the many years they are functional. Many specifiers are choosing AKW’s Livenza Plus close-coupled toilet as it comes with a 3/6 litre flush option and encouraging the use of toilet cistern displacement devices, as these can save up to 5,000 litres of water per year per toilet.
WASH BASINS
The deeper the wash basin, the more the user is tempted to fill it. AKW’s Livenza Plus basins are smaller than standard wash basins, offering 62% less volume than AKW’s largest one, allowing for significant water saving potential. The basins can also be specified with wheelchair friendly semi pedestals.
BIDETS I
t might seem strange to include bidets in a water saving discussion, but a bidet uses around 0.2 litres to 0.5 litres of water per use, compared to a toilet that uses anything from 3 litres to 13+ litres for an older model. Also, it replaces the need for toilet paper, which is a water-and energy-intensive item to produce.
Water-efficiency is here to stay, and there are a wide range of stylish, accessible and general bathroom products on the market to meet the changing regulations.
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