Conserving and protecting our most essential resource
Improving water sustainability in the supply chain
Being efficient with the water we use and avoiding polluting watercourses is critical for a sustainable built environment. Water is so ubiquitous in our daily lives that we take it for granted. Turn on the tap and there it is – clean, cheap (at least compared to energy), abundant and seemingly permanently available.
However, the water we consume and the wastewater we create has significant environmental impacts. Parts of the UK can often suffer from water scarcity. Pollution is a constant threat. The taps won’t turn off any time soon, but the availability of water to meet industry, business and household demands, let alone what nature needs to keep it afloat, often means we get close to going short. As recently as Summer 2022 parts of the UK came very close to drought conditions. Conversely however, recent flooding has contributed to pollution and infrastructural problems. Controlling and managing water in a safe and nature positive way is a constant challenge.
Add to this the energy and materials required to make our water drinkable, and to clean our wastewater before returning it to nature, and you soon realise that there is a lot invested in each and every litre of tap water. Knowing this can inspire us to be more efficient and sparing with the water we use. Using collected rainwater for dust suppression instead of tap water is a great example of lateral thinking and saving resources. We also must ensure wastewater is properly treated and managed to avoid spills and pollution, and we need to take more action to incorporate “green and blue infrastructure” considerations into our care for, and enhancement of, the wider built environment.
Water sustainability across the globe
Elsewhere around the world water is often a critical scarce resource, through climatic conditions but also through excessive demand from industry and agriculture, mismanagement, lack of care and poor, leaky or non-existent infrastructure. Therefore as responsible customers we have to not only consider our direct water use, but also the global water footprint within our supply chains.
We are losing species diversity at an alarming rate. Protecting, enhancing and creating new water based habitats can help to address this slide and improve the prospects for all of us, as well as the species that rely on these environments. There is a growing movement back towards nature positive solutions. How we manage and use water has a huge role to play in making this work.
Green (and blue) infrastructure integrates a network of nature based and semi-natural features and solutions into our built environment.
The School has produced an updated e-learning module explaining how its use can deliver project and sustainability gains whilst providing benefits in proximity to nature, leisure amenities and wellbeing for users or the built environment and its environs.
Water - Sustainability Short
In this short animated video, we discuss why water is a significant issue for the construction sector and the impacts it can have on our work and lives.
How manufacturing impacts water sustainability
The manufacturing processes to make the goods we buy and use can also require significant quantities of water. We can apply the principle of embodied water just as we would for embodied carbon. A typical example is importing fruit and vegetables imported from water scarce countries. Water is contained within them and vastly more water is used to grow them. Construction goods and other products required across the entire built environment can also require significant amounts of water for their manufacture and use.
Responsible clients, developers, contractors and facilities managers are now measuring and reporting on the usage of potable water use on sites and also calculating the water footprint of their supply chains. Government has a target of reducing water consumption by 20% per person by 2030. This has been addressed in Part G of the Building Regulations as well as in the Home Quality Mark.
Water
Introduction to Water
E-learning module
30 minutesWater
Water Footprint Calculator
Tool
Water
Water Footprint Calculator Methodology
Document/Presentation
Water
The Global Water Footprint of Humanity
Video
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