New announcements on water policy in the EU and the UK

08/08/2007

To address the challenge of water scarcity and droughts in the European Union, the Commission has prepared a Communication which presents an initial set of policy options at European, national and regional levels to address and mitigate the challenge posed by water scarcity and drought within the Union.

In January 2007, the Commission adopted an Energy and Climate package to guide the EU towards a sustainable, competitive and secure energy policy. One of its central themes is to tackle the energy challenge by first making an effort to use energy more efficiently before looking at alternatives. This approach is also valid for water scarcity and droughts. In order to come to grips with water scarcity and droughts, the first priority is to move towards a water-efficient and water-saving economy. Saving water also means saving energy, as extracting, transporting and treating water comes at a high energy cost. Policy options entertained within the Communication cover themes including labelling schemes, voluntary agreements with supply chains, and performance levels for new builds.

For further information on the Communication and a report entitled ‘EU Water saving potential’, click here.

There has also recently been a major policy announcement by Communities and Local Government (CLG) and Defra Water Supply and Regulation (WSR) on Building for a Sustainable Future, specifically on Mandating Water Efficiency in New Buildings. The announcement included two complementary actions to increase water efficiency; the Building Regulations will be amended to include a whole of house mandatory water efficiency level of 125l/h/d, and that the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations will be reviewed in 2008 to include water efficiency standards for individual products.

For more details, click here.