The ongoing debate about the future of the water industry, and whether or not water companies are taken back into public ownership, will not affect the ongoing issue of the lack of supply. 

To offset the predicted daily deficit of 4017 mega litres per day by 2050, major water companies have been developing plans to upgrade the UKs water supply and reduce current usage from 150 litres per person per day to 110.  Given that the first new reservoir for over 30 years has had its completion date pushed back to 2034, a quick turnaround in the UK water supply situation is unlikely. 

Whilst smart meters are seen as a significant part of the solution to reducing domestic water usage, Thames Water have recorded post installation savings of 12-17%, most major UK water companies have announced their plans for Advanced metering infrastructure, where all new connections or meters will replaced with the latest generation of smart meters.

Groundbreaker – the best location for smart meters

Groundbreaker is an insulated, surface mounted enclosure for a secure water management system and smart water meter. This locates the meter above ground, providing a better environment for smart technology over traditional underground boundary boxes, extends signal transmission and allows easy meter exchange.

The unique location of the Groundbreaker water management system future proofs the network and minimises the risk of developing future leaks.  The position of the meter allows for an unjointed water supply, hence maintaining the integrity of the supply.  The use of an uninterrupted supply has been recognised as best practice by Water UK and the Home Builders Federation.

In addition to new developments, Groundbreaker is ideal for redevelopment or refurbishment of properties that have architectural or water supply structures that make traditional metering options impractical.

This point of entry location makes it the perfect solution for installation in existing properties with shared supply or challenging architecture. Its location on the building also means no street furniture or liability in the highway.

Save water, save energy, save money

Stewart Clements, Director of the Heating & Hotwater Industry Council (HHIC) explained. “It’s important that those responsible for building new homes and for upgrading existing homes – including both social and private housing providers and landlords – recognise the different factors involved in minimising energy consumption and in making tomorrow’s homes the efficient properties needed to achieve decarbonisation and reach the net zero target for 2050.”

‘The energy used to heat water for devices and appliances emits an average of 875kg of CO2 per household per year. This is equivalent to the CO2 emissions from driving more than 1,700 miles in an average family car.”
Energy Saving Trust

Whilst water efficient appliances, i.e. dishwashers and washing machines, can reduce domestic water and energy usage, much of this hot water used in ‘time critical’ usage e.g. taking a shower or running the tap to rinse dishes.

Lo-Flo – additional water saving, built in

To further improve home water efficiency, major water companies are also rolling out flow regulating devices, such as Groundbreaker’s LoFlo^®.  These modulate the level of flow entering premises – regardless of network pressure, meaning a reduction in the level of water used by customers when ‘variable use’ appliances (i.e., showers, taps, hosepipes).  As the flow of water into the premises is limited, then the amount used by the customer is also limited – but without providing a degradation of service, and more importantly not requiring any intervention or behavioural change on the part of the customer.

The NRv2 LoFlo^® can be easily and simply fitted to any meter installation or retrofitted on meter exchange or when upgrading or remediating underground meter chambers.  Thus, allowing Water Companies to manage demand with little or no impact on consumers and at minimal cost to the water undertakers.

Whether it’s new build or redevelopment, Groundbreaker has a range of products to design in water efficient homes. For further product details visit www.groundbreaker.co.uk