Utility Week

26 | 3RD - 9TH APRIL 2020 | UTILITY WEEK Customers Analysis T here are many small actions individu- als can take which together make a big di erence. Water companies have been telling their customers this for years and have worked tirelessly to encourage water e ciency, but the message hasn't quite got through. As part of our Mind the Tap series, Util- ity Week talked to A nity Water's director of corporate a airs and communities, Jake Rigg, who has been instrumental in the suc- cess of the company's #WhyNotWater cam- paign. Utility Week is pleased to be among its supporters, and with Mind the Tap we want to see A nity's four goals realised as part of a nationwide campaign for greater water e ciency. In its latest price review, PR19, Ofwat set each company a target to lower per capita consumption (PCC) in their catchment. Against an average goal of 6.3 per cent reduc- tion, A nity's target is the most stretching at 12.5 per cent – reŽ ecting the higher use in its area compared with others. To tackle high consumption rates, the company launched its e ciency campaign last May with a huge melting cube of ice out- side St Albans Cathedral to demonstrate the water used by four average households over one month. Rigg says that although the challenge is sizeable, the company is positive that with the right message, lowering PCC is achievable. He suggests a past mistake may have been giving the impression that people need to live a "hair shirt lifestyle" to make a di er- ence on e ciency, rather than making small changes to their daily routine and gener- ally being more considerate about how they use–water. He explains that although the public is conscious of a need to save water, the urgency is deemed too low to make it a pri- ority. "People are aware of the challenges. We've done a lot of research that shows people know they need to be water e cient, but they see the problem as a long way o ," Rigg–says. A nity's research shows many people trust that a solution will be found before the impacts of water scarcity are felt. Hear- ing predictions about the next 30 years is not seen as an urgent problem, while plastics ranks as more of an immediate concern. Rigg insists that educating the public that water shortages are directly connected to cli- mate change and how they can be more e - cient is crucial. "People don't need to live a radically dif- ferent lifestyle. The changes could be rela- tively small, but they stack up pretty fast. Sure, people want to water their garden or wash their car, but the message needs to be to do those things in an appropriate way." New-build housing A caveat to that, Rigg believes, is new-build housing: "It's unforgivable to be building new stock that isn't environmentally sustain- able. Is the housing stock we're building now going to be sustainable for future scenarios? That consideration has to include–water." A nity says local authorities and other building associations have a big role to play in the #WhyNotWater campaign, and sus- tainability targets should be included in housing plans. Economist Vicky Pryce recognises the challenge and necessity of changing con- sumer behaviour. She said of the #WhyNot- Water campaign's e ciency targets for new homes: "We already have targets for carbon- e cient new homes, and as climate change becomes more pressing the two could com- bine nicely so homes are not just energy e - cient but water e cient." "It should be everyone's responsibility, but water companies have to look at how we can have the maximum input in the most economically e cient way," Rigg says."It has to be high up on the agenda for everyone to make sure water isn't leŸ behind. It feels like this is a conversation that's been going on The big challenge of small things If we all took small steps to reduce water consumption, the cumulative impact would be huge. Ruth Williams reports. The Aims of #WhyNotWater Mandatory water e ciency labelling on all goods. Rights for tenants to request that their landlords install water-saving measures so that they are able to enjoy water-e cient homes. Domestic water e ciency by ensuring xtures and ttings meet standard requirements through mandatory certi ca- tion. Every local plan in a severely water-stressed area should include the target of 110 litres per person per day. Following work with leading garden groups, a - h aim for plants to be labelled according to their drought resilience and water consumption will be added. "We already have targets for carbon- effi cient new homes, and as climate change becomes more pressing the two could combine nicely so homes are not just energy effi cient but water effi cient." Vicky Pryce, economist

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