Now's your chance to join the campaign!
Ensuring all new buildings are designed to save water should be a vital consideration from the earliest stages of a project. Achieving sustainability in both commercial and domestic properties is not just a question of energy saving - it also needs to encompass the need to conserve the UK's mains water supplies.
The Code for Sustainable Homes does encourage reduced water usage in the home. But it is still only a voluntary code and only covers homes, not commercial or business premises. There is talk of a similar Code for commercial buildings to match energy efficiency requirements, but this is some way down the track.
Save the Rain™ is campaigning for rainwater harvesting to be compulsory in all new builds years. The Enhanced Capital Allowance scheme http://www.eca-water.gov.uk is already avaliable for commercial rainwater harvesting equipment. We need grants or tax allowance for domestic rainwater harvesting - just like grants for insulation. Sadly, unless the legislation is changed to make it easier and cheaper, the process will be too slow.
Campaign Objectives
The UK RHA has given its full support to Save the Rain™.
Roger Budgeon of the UK RHA said: "On behalf of the UK Rainwater Harvesting Association, it gives me very great pleasure to welcome this far-sighted and much needed initiative. Quite apart from the parts of the country experiencing a water-supply deficit, a great deal of energy is currently wasted in bringing water that is destined for toilet-flushing up to drinking water standard. Widespread use of harvested rainwater as an integral part of our national water management policy therefore makes sound environmental and economic sense."