Making new communities water smart
We help developers, planners and water companies design housing that uses less water, creates less flood risk, and returns water safely to the environment. Our frameworks, evidence and tools are free to use.
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What is a water smart community?
A water smart community is a new development designed so that homes, infrastructure and residents together use less water, create less flood risk, and return water safely to the environment.
It is achieved through integrated water management: planning water supply, wastewater, drainage and reuse as one system from the earliest stage of a development, rather than as four separate utilities bolted on at the end. Our research found that water neutrality in new housing is achievable through this integrated design — but not through any single measure on its own.
Read the full definition →Assets
Water-saving and water-reusing infrastructure, built in from the start.
Values
Residents and organisations who understand water and act on it.
Stewardship
Clear, long-term governance of who owns and manages the systems.
Water stewardship models for UK housing
Someone has to own and operate community water systems for the next hundred years. We defined three models for how that works, and what each one means for developers, water companies and residents.
Public / local-authority-led
A council or public body owns and manages water assets on behalf of the community.
Read the full model →Community-led
Residents govern water systems through a community organisation or trust.
Read the full model →Utility / commercial partnership
A water company or commercial operator runs the systems under a formal agreement.
Read the full model →Four years of evidence, in four lines
Drawn from three live demonstrator sites, public research and work with developers, local authorities and water companies across England.
Public and professional appetite for water reuse is high — when the governance is clear.
Water neutrality in new housing is achievable through integrated design, not through any single measure.
Stewardship must be decided early. Retrofitting governance after build is far harder and more expensive.
Cross-sector partnership between developers and water companies unlocks delivery and funding routes.
Case studies
Real developments, with what worked, what cost more than expected, and what we would do differently.
From EWSC to the Community of Practice
Enabling Water Smart Communities (EWSC) was a four-year innovation programme, funded by Ofwat's Water Breakthrough Challenge and led by Anglian Water. It concluded in 2026.
Its work now continues through the Water Smart Community of Practice, which maintains EWSC's frameworks and evidence base, and sits alongside the Water Smart Growth Board — the national board established in 2026 out of EWSC's work. Everything EWSC published remains available here.
About the Community of Practice →EWSC 2022–2026 → Community of Practice + Water Smart Growth Board
Explore the work
The framework
Plan a water smart development, step by step.
IWM Database
Every measure we assessed, searchable and filterable.
Case studies
Eddington, Knights Park and more, in depth.
Reports & one-pagers
All published research and evidence, free to download.
Videos & webinars
Recordings, site films and studio interviews.
Insights
Articles from the project team, now published here.
Common questions
Short, direct answers to the questions we are asked most.
What is integrated water management?
Integrated water management (IWM) is the practice of planning water supply, wastewater, surface water drainage and water reuse as a single connected system, rather than as separate utilities. In new housing, it means deciding how water moves through a development at masterplanning stage, when changes are still cheap.
How can new housing reduce water use and flood risk at the same time?
By combining measures rather than relying on one. Rainwater harvesting and greywater reuse cut demand on the mains; sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) slow and store surface water; water-efficient fittings reduce consumption at the tap. Our research found that developments achieve the largest reductions when these are designed together from the outset, with clear ownership of the systems once residents move in.
What is water neutrality, and is it achievable?
Water neutrality means a new development does not increase the total demand for water in its area. Our evidence shows it is achievable in new housing through integrated design — combining demand reduction, reuse and offsetting — but not through any single measure alone.
Who owns and maintains community water systems?
That depends on the stewardship model chosen. We identified three: public or local-authority-led, community-led, and utility or commercial partnership. The critical finding is that the model must be decided early — retrofitting governance after a development is built is far harder.
Is the guidance free to use?
Yes. All reports, one-pagers, frameworks and tools published here are free to download and use. The programme was publicly funded through Ofwat's Water Breakthrough Challenge.
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