The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has launched a new consultation on proposals to revise the Water Efficiency Standards set out in Building Regulations 2010 on new water saving plans to reduce bills and unblock thousands of new homes.
Defra is seeking views on revising the Water Efficiency Standards – Defra is proposing a plan to strengthen Water Efficiency Standards in the Building Regulations 2010, Part G, to require tighter standards in new homes.
Defra said it has worked closely with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), working with the Building Safety Regulator, to develop the joint consultation and ensure it supports housebuilding goals.
The proposals includes an option to revise the:
- Water Efficiency Standard in new homes from 125 litres per person per day to 105 litres per person per day
- Optional Technical Standard from 110 litres per person per day to 100 litres per person per day
Defra also wants to gather more information on enabling water reuse systems in new developments to enable even greater water efficiency in homes.
Launching the consultation, Defra said the government's new efficiency rules will tackle water shortage bottlenecks and unblock stalled developments in areas of water scarcity helping to deliver the pledge of building 1.5 million homes by 2030. The new government standards would also bolster drought resilience and unblock developments in water scarce areas.
The consultation proposes small changes to Building Regulations that could see new homes fitted with water-saving features such as aerated taps and showerheads, and dual flush toilets.
According to Defra, the simple water-saving measures could save families in new homes over £100 a year on bills. The change to the design standard would make new build housing more water efficient, equivalent to 20 litres per person per day. Analysis has shown this could save £111 a year on energy and water bills in new homes.
Environment Secretary, Emma Reynolds, said:
“We are getting Britain building faster, and a key element to growth is smarter water consumption.
“Removing the water shortage barriers that have stalled development for too long will mean unlocking thousands of new homes while saving families money.
“Not only will this make customer bills cheaper; it will protect the environment and unlock thousands of new homes as part of our Plan for Change.”
Measures will support government’s commitment to reduce water usage in England by 20% per person per day by 2038
The 12-week consultation looks to amend the current Building Regulations 2010 Part G2 - Defra describes Part G2 as "insufficient to meet the parallel challenges of housing delivery and water conservation."
A reduction of 20 litres per person per day could see an additional 1,000 new homes unlocked for every 5,250 homes built. This is particularly helpful in areas like Cambridge and north Sussex where planning has previously been blocked because water demand outstripped supply.
The measures will support the government’s commitment to reduce water usage in England by 20% per person per day by 2038 and also puts it on track to use just 110 litres per head of the population by 2050.
Future innovations, such as using harvested rainwater to flush home toilets, are also being considered in a call to evidence that is running alongside the consultation.
England has seen seven consecutive months of below-average rainfall, with five areas in drought and more expected to follow soon despite the recent rain. Climate change and increased water demand means the nation needs to become more efficient with the water it has.
Dr. Tom Dollard, Chair, Good Homes Alliance welcomed the consultation, saying:
“Our membership is facing real challenges in delivering new homes due to a lack of water capacity in their areas.
“If we are to meet the Government housing delivery targets and unlock economic growth then we must start building more ‘water smart’ homes and neighbourhoods.
“We would like to see a refreshed Part G that is aligned to the water neutrality hierarchy, and a fittings-based approach combined with a water labelling scheme that would deliver water efficient homes at scale across the UK.
“We encourage all stakeholders from across industry to respond to this important consultation.”
The new standards, if approved, would be mandatory for developer planning applications, through local authorities.
Deadline to submit responses to the consultation is 11:59pm on 16 December 2025.
Click here to access the consultation and related documents online
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