With the whole of the East of England officially classified as seriously ‘water stressed’ by the Environment Agency7, Waterwise and the East of England Development Agency (EEDA) have teamed up to be the first to open a new regional centre for excellence for water efficiency based in Thetford, Norfolk – Waterwise East.
Waterwise East’s focus is on development and the built environment. It works with developers to improve water efficiency in new housing in the East of England, and with a variety of organisations to improve water efficiency in existing housing stock. It aims to work with a wide range of organisations to become the hub for water efficiency in the region. The East is England’s driest region and in the next 20 years, a rapidly increasing population and planned extensive housing developments, coupled with climate change will mean there may not be enough water for everyone.
The Minister for the East of England, Barbara Follett (MP for Stevenage) said: ‘Water efficiency is an extremely serious issue in the Eastern region. Our centre of excellence for water efficiency is going to be working with the East of England Water Partnership and
the Regional Climate Change Partnership to ensure our future supply.'
Andrew Pitt, Waterwise East Coordinator says: ‘Research6 conducted by a variety of organisations has shown that a majority of homebuyers would opt for, and are willing
to pay more for an eco-home. Waterwise East will research home buyer attitudes to water efficiency and how homes built to a water efficient specification perform in the long term. By ensuring all new developments are water efficient we can ensure a sustainable supply of water in the East of England. Now is the time to take action.’
Fiona Bryant, head of sustainable and rural development, EEDA said: ‘We are pleased to support Waterwise East to ensure that development in the region is planned for with regard to both growth and also recognition of the particular issues for the region in
terms of water resources as well as the broader context of climate change. Waterwise East will also help demonstrate and encourage sustainable construction techniques that will help reduce the region’s CO2 emissions.’
For more on Waterwise East please visit www.waterwise-east.org.uk The new site includes information for homebuilders and developers, event listings, relevant organisational links and water saving tips and ideas.
Notes to Editors
1.Waterwise East is based in EEDA’s Inspire East office in Thetford. Waterwise East is funded by EEDA, The Environment Agency, EERA and Defra through the East of England Sustainable Development Round Table. It is led by a steering group consisting of Waterwise,
The Environment Agency, GO-East, EEDA and the regional water company water efficiency group (The Anglian Region Water Efficiency Group). For more information visit www.waterwise-east.org.uk
2.The Waterwise East Business Plan is available at www.waterwise-east.org.uk
3.Waterwise is an independent, not for profit, non-governmental organisation focused on decreasing water consumption in the UK by 2010 and building the evidence base for large scale water efficiency. We are the leading authority on water efficiency in the UK. We sit on the UK Environment Minister’s Water Saving Group alongside the water industry and regulators. Our aim is to reverse the upward trend in how much water we all use at home and at work by 2010. For more information please visit www.waterwise.org.uk
4.EEDA is the driving force behind sustainable economic regeneration in the East of England: Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. EEDA’s vision is for the East of England to be an ideas driven region that is internationally competitive, harnesses the talent of all and is at the forefront of the low carbon economy.
5.Details of the recent consultation on water stressed areas can be found at http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/yourenv/consultations/1690000/?version=1&lang=_e?lang=_e#
6.According to research by the Nationwide Building Society and The Sponge Sustainability network.
7.Apart from Tendering Hundred which is defined as moderate water stress.
Contacts:
Andrew Pitt
Waterwise East Water Efficiency Coordinator
01223 484 599
07833 948 265
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Chris Philpot
Media and Campaigns Manager, Waterwise
020 7957 4615
07702 598 074
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