Albion Water welcomes the publication of the government’s 25-Year Environment Plan and is a strong advocate of driving down water use, particularly in relation to new housing development.
Published this week, the much-anticipated 25-Year Environment Plan maps out pledges to improve specific areas of the environment including water, air quality, natural capital and resource efficiency.
Luke DeVial, managing director of Albion Water commented:
“Achieving sustainable housing growth is Albion Water’s core ambition. We have taken innovative approaches to water supply through utilising local recycling on new green field developments and are investing in the technology and techniques necessary to use stored rainwater and treated waste water to reduce the use of drinking water. Average household usage already achieved is approximately 80 litres per person per day, a reduction of at least 30% – already achieving Defra’s stated ambition.”
Commenting on Defra’s broader ambition to promote the wider benefits of new development, Mr DeVial stated: “We also work closely with our new communities in order to maximise the environmental benefits associated with sustainable drainage and public open space and have achieved notable biodiversity improvements on land in our stewardship.”
Albion believes that appropriately designed new housing, incorporating dual water systems to deliver both drinking (potable) and recycled (non-potable) water, could achieve 300 Ml/d of potable water by 2040.