Governments around the world continue to try to protect the environment by placing greater demands on the construction industry to build more energy efficient buildings. In the UK for example, the government is updating the building code in order to improve the environmental performance of buildings particularly houses. One of the main changes to the rules to take effect soon is conservation of water. The aim of these new rules is to limit the amount of water an individual will use at home on a daily basis. The suggested amount per person is around 125 litres per day used internally or externally. This may sound like a lot of water, however when you compare it to current use in the modern home each day, it is a relatively small amount. For example in recent years we have been installing showers in bathrooms, with pumps fitted that deliver water at a flow rate of up to about 16 litres per minute. Quantifying the total amount of water we each use daily on washing, drinking, cooking, sanitary flushing etc will leave very little excess for a pumped shower, under the new proposed rule changes.

The new water consumption limits will place increased pressure on designers, such as Architects Belfast, to specify water efficient goods and products in order to obtain building control approval. Additional calculations will be necessary to quantify the water consumptions for all the various products that will be installed in the house. Help is on hand though from the major manufacturers, who are now providing consumption figures for each of their products, to assist designers. Shower manufacturers are now producing appliances that will reduce the water flow, and therefore consumption, to meet with the new regulations. So over the years we have gone from gravity feed low water flow showers, up to pumped showers with body jets etc., and back to low water consumption appliances.

The new rules will also aim to eliminate scalding injuries from water which is too hot to safely use. The new rules dictate that thermostatic control mixing values are fitted to all water taps to keep the water temperature below predetermined rates.

A lot of these new ideas for water controls are practical, probably very worthwhile and could be life saving. But what will the impact be on protecting the environment? Usually these new rules only apply to newly built dwelling houses. With the total number of new houses built each year being a lot lower than the existing stock, the impact will probably be very small. But you’ve got to start somewhere.