The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has published a progress report outlining Government activities to encourage the conservation of water between 2010 and 2013, together with details of further steps planned for the future.
Under Section 81 of the Water Act 2003 the Secretary of State for Defra has a duty to encourage water conservation and to report to Parliament every three years on actions taken to promote it as well as steps proposed for the future.
The report is required by Section 81 of the Water Act 2003 by Section 81 of the Water Act 2003 the three years from 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2013 on the steps taken to encourage the conservation of water as required
The report is an invaluable and detailed snapshot of the wide range of water conservation projects and initiatives carried out either directly by Government and its agencies or through partnership working.
Defra Minister Rt Hon Owen Paterson MP said the projects and outcomes described in the report form a vital basis upon which saving water can be built and that looking ahead, there would be continued emphasis on water conservation.
The report says that overall demand for water from the public supply network decreased by about 3% during the period of because of improved efficiency of appliances, reduced industrial use and water efficiency activities. Household water use had decreased by about 6 litres per head per day, while leakage levels have remained largely static in recent years.
Looking further ahead, Owen Paterson said the Government expects that the demand trend will be significantly downward, commenting:
“Despite the reductions in demand and the management of leakage, there will still be pressures on water in future and the projects set out in this report will help us prepare to respond to that pressure and meet the needs of people and the environment.”
Key activities covered in the report include:
- Household behaviour
- EU LIFE+ Project: Combining water and energy efficiency
- Plug-it: Testing innovative approaches for achieving pro-environmental behaviours (report not yet published)
- Customer behaviour and water use – A good practice manual and roadmap for household consumption forecasting
- Water Efficiency in Buildings Network
- Homes and communities
- Planning effective water efficiency initiatives
- Tap into Savings programme
- Building Regulations for new dwellings
- Code for Sustainable Homes:Technical Guidance
- Review of local housing standards
- The potential for combining household water and energy retrofitting
- Creating water sensitive places – scoping the potential for Water Sensitive Urban Design in the UK 18
- National Policy Planning Framework
- Enhanced Capital Allowance Scheme for water – Water Technology Criteria List
- Push, pull, nudge – Ofwat focus report
- Patterns of Water project -part of an ongoing programme of research by the Sustainable Practices Research Group (SPRG) start - 1 July 2010 until 31 March 2014.
Click here to read the Action taken by Government to encourage the conservation of water report in full
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