Our Water Management Plan promotes responsible water management at our properties and development sites. This helps us:
- Manage the costs and risks associated with water use and discharge
- Meet strategic and legal requirements to protect water quality and supply security
- Adapt to the implications of climate change.
The Plan provides guidance on water management issues during property acquisition, design, construction, management and refurbishment. It complements our other corporate responsibility documents, such as our Sustainability Briefs.
Information to gather during acquisition includes the existing or potential water needs of the development, what water management measures are in place or could be implemented, and what the water discharge volume is likely to be.
Opportunities to consider during design include water efficiency measures, such as waterless urinals, water restrictors on taps and leak detectors. Other opportunities include water recycling, for instance harvesting rainwater for landscaping. At Ludgate West in London, for instance, low water use fittings were included as part of the design.
Elements to consider during construction include preventing water pollution by providing spill kits, training and remediation plans for oil, fuel or chemical spillages. Water from wheel washing and wash down facilities can also be recycled. At the Willis Building in Lime Street in London, for instance, the contractors Mace are recycling water from wheel washing.
In property management the focus is on changing behaviour and monitoring performance. Improvements can be achieved through installation of water efficient technology, and establishing a preventative maintenance programme. At Meadowhall Shopping Centre in Sheffield two water storage tanks are being used to harvest rainwater and condensation from the air conditioning. The tanks can hold up to 25,000 litres of water each, or 185 domestic baths. In the first week after installation 45,000 litres of rainwater were collected. This water would otherwise have gone into the drainage system, into the ground or evaporated. It is now used for cleaning, flushing toilets and watering the external landscaped areas.
Areas to consider during refurbishment include retro-fitting water efficient technologies and flood and storm damage protection measures. At Eastgate Shopping Centre in Basildon, for instance, the new toilet facilities will incorporate water harvesting and flow controlled taps.
