Southern Water supports the water efficiency section of this policy, and encourages greater ambition. High standards of water efficiency in new developments equate to greater long-term sustainability – with the potential to delay or reduce the need to increase abstraction or find new water resources. There are also additional benefits to minimising water use in terms of reduced carbon emissions from treating, supplying, and heating water, as well as lower water and energy bills for future occupants.
We fully support the section of this policy that requires a Sustainability Statement to set out how development will minimise water use by harvesting rainwater and/or recycling greywater where possible. By 2040 Southern Water aims to reduce demand by reducing leakage and by helping customers lower their usage to 100l/p/d. We therefore encourage development to meet this lower target, to avoid the need for us to retrospectively work with customers to reduce demand. This is key to our resources management plan, and is being incentivised in new development by offering a discount on our new water infrastructure connection charges to developers who meet either our gold, silver or bronze efficiency standards (see page 16 of new-connection-charging-arrangements-24_25.pdf (southernwater.co.uk)).
Encouraging higher water efficiency in new development would also be in line with paragraph 158 of the National Planning Policy Framework, which requires a proactive approach to mitigating and adapting to climate change, taking into account the long-term implications for water supply. We believe that a proactive approach should take account of water company ambition, as well as including adaptability of policy to any future amendments to national standards such as a tightening of Building Regulations water efficiency standards.
In consideration of the above, we suggest the following addition to Policy ENV12
New homes (including replacement dwellings) will be required to meet either a water efficiency standard of 110 litres or less per person per day, or any future national standards, whichever is lower.