Eddington, Cambridge
The UK's largest rainwater recycling network, serving 3,000 homes in a working neighbourhood — and ten years of data on how it actually performs.
Homes served
Operational data
Non-potable demand met by recycled water
First homes occupied
Figures indicative — to be confirmed against the published data before build.
The site
Eddington is a University of Cambridge development on the north-west edge of the city, planned from the outset as a low-water neighbourhood. Its rainwater recycling network is the largest in the UK: roof and surface runoff is collected across the development, treated centrally, and distributed through a dedicated second pipe network for WC flushing, laundry and irrigation.
What was built
- A site-wide rainwater collection and attenuation system integrated with the landscape
- Central treatment plant with dedicated non-potable distribution (dual-pipe)
- Water-efficient fittings specified across all homes as standard
- SuDS integrated into the public realm rather than fenced off
How stewardship was structured
The systems are operated under a long-term arrangement tied to the development's estate management structure, rather than adopted by the incumbent water company. This was viable because the University is a long-term landowner with the capacity to hold that responsibility — a condition most developments do not share, and the main reason this model does not transfer directly elsewhere.
What worked
- Designing the dual-pipe network at masterplan stage meant no retrofit cost
- Integrating SuDS into public open space made maintenance visible and routine
- Residents accepted recycled water readily where its purpose was explained clearly
What we would do differently
- Commission the monitoring at the same time as the plant, not afterwards — early performance data was lost
- Plan the resident engagement before first occupation rather than in response to questions
- Size storage against observed demand patterns rather than modelled ones
Stewardship must be decided early. Retrofitting governance after build is far harder.
What this means for your development
Eddington works because a long-term landowner could hold the operational responsibility. If your development has no equivalent body, the stewardship question needs answering before the dual-pipe network is designed — not after. Our stewardship models comparison sets out the alternatives.