Resource Hub
Everything worth reading on integrated water management in new housing, in one place. Our own outputs alongside the best guidance, research and policy from across the sector.
Environmental Incentives – A Standardised Approach for the Water Sector ↗
Reviews environmental incentive payments by English water companies and proposes a standardised approach across the sector, building on Ofwat's 2024 Environmental Incentives Common Framework. Addresses incentives for water efficiency, rainwater/greywater reuse, SuDS, water offsetting, and flow regulation to promote water smart housing.
Building Standards Part G Consultation – EWSC Response
EWSC's response to the Defra consultation on water efficiency in Building Regulations Part G, advocating for a single national fittings-based standard equivalent to 95 l/p/d and mandatory water reuse for developments of 100+ properties.
Managing Rainwater Where It Falls
Submission to the Independent Water Commission making the case for a National Rainwater Management Strategy, combining rainwater harvesting for water resources with SuDS for flood and pollution management.
Bridging the Skills Gap for Water Reuse in the UK
Scoping study identifying the critical skills gap in the UK's water reuse sector, particularly in plumbing, and calling for accreditation schemes, training programmes, and regulatory clarity to enable safe delivery of water reuse systems.
Enabling Water Reuse in the UK: Single Source of Truth
Consolidates UK regulations and guidance on non-potable water reuse, highlighting ambiguities in legislation around 'wholesomeness' and gaps in standards from concept through to operation.
Water Reuse in New Housing: Understanding the Business Case
Assesses capital costs of community-scale and on-plot water reuse installations across 12 housing developments, finding community-scale stormwater reuse most cost-effective at ~£1,500–£3,400 per plot for sites over 100 units.
Water Efficiency and Reuse in Housing: Design Guide for a Changing Climate
Practical design guide for water-efficient new housing, providing a model specification for fittings, rainwater harvesting, greywater recycling, and water offsetting, with six UK case studies demonstrating 25–100% water reduction.
The Case for Water Smart Housing
Economic modelling and public opinion research showing water scarcity could cost £25bn in undelivered housing over 5 years, with water smart homes recouping £20bn; public polling of 4,000 adults reveals strong support for rainwater reuse.
Planning for Water: The Value of High-Quality SuDS
Research combining developer interviews, economic modelling, public polling, and resident fieldwork to quantify the value of high-quality SuDS, finding a £3.1bn property premium and £219m/year welfare value for 1.3m new homes.
Benefit-Cost Analysis for High-Quality SuDS
Develops a bespoke SuDS Benefit-Cost Analysis Tool (SBCAT) finding that high-quality SuDS deliver 5.8–15.9x greater benefit per pound invested than low-quality SuDS, with comparable lifecycle costs.
Summary of Water Sector Environmental Incentives 2025/26
Compiles all English water company environmental incentive offerings for developers into a single reference document, detailing tiered discounts for water efficiency, water reuse, SuDS, and water neutrality across 16 companies.
Impacts of Water Conservation on Sewer Networks
Research pamphlet presenting simulation tools and future scenarios showing how reduced water consumption (49–105 l/p/d) affects wastewater flow, concentration, and sewer network performance, including impacts on blockages, capacity, and treatment efficiency.
Wastewater Treatment Modelling: Impact of Reduced Water Usage on WWTP Performance
Models four UK wastewater treatment works under water conservation scenarios (110–49 l/p/d), finding that reduced flows increase pollutant concentrations and challenge biological processes, with recommendations for load-based control and capacity upgrades.
Roadmap to Water Reuse V2.0
Operational roadmap listing chronological actions required for community-scale water reuse in the UK, incorporating outputs from water company and regulator workshops across political, environmental, social, technological, legal, and economic dimensions.
Water Reuse OPEX & Carbon Technical Report
First micro-component level assessment of operational expenditure and whole-life carbon for water reuse systems across 12 representative UK developments, covering external networks, internal plumbing, and five treatment system typologies over 100 years.
Climate Resilient Gardens – Project Summary Report
Explores the potential for a Climate Resilient Gardens Accreditation Scheme for new housing, with public survey showing 96% willing to pay £2,000+ more for climate-resilient gardens and 89% finding RHS-accredited schemes appealing.
Reducing the Prevalence of Private Estate Management Arrangements – EWSC Response
EWSC's response to the MHCLG consultation on estate management, advocating for mandatory SuDS adoption standards, Schedule 3 implementation, clearer governance for water infrastructure, and community-led stewardship models.
Review and Roadmap for Funding and Financing Water Smart Communities
Reviews 11 funding and financing typologies for delivering IWM assets (rainwater harvesting, greywater recycling, SuDS), recommending market-based models, last-mile operator models, and an industry revolving fund as priority delivery mechanisms.
A People-Centred Perspective on Enabling Water Smart Communities
Mixed-method social science research exploring public and professional perspectives on water smart communities, finding stronger support for water reuse than commonly assumed, but conditional on trust in governance, maintenance, and technical competence.
Integrated Water Management Studies (IWMS) Review: Barriers and Enablers
Comprehensive assessment of 24 UK IWMS through literature review, stakeholder interviews, and workshops, identifying regulatory fragmentation, governance gaps, and funding constraints as key barriers, with 11 recommendations for improving IWM adoption.
UK Water Efficiency Strategy to 2030 ↗
National strategy setting 10 objectives for UK water efficiency including demand reduction to 110 l/p/d, smart metering, water-neutral new development, and retrofit programmes, targeting savings of 1,500 Ml/day by 2030.
Waterwise Water Efficiency Database ↗
Free searchable hub of water efficiency research, reports, policy papers, and case studies, serving as a key reference portal for the UK water efficiency evidence base.
The SuDS Manual (C753) ↗
The definitive 964-page UK guide on planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance of sustainable drainage systems, providing detailed technical guidance for practitioners.
Guidance on the Construction of SuDS (C768) ↗
Best practice guidance on construction techniques for sustainable drainage systems to ensure effective delivery and long-term performance.
Water Sensitive Urban Design in the UK (C723) ↗
Ideas book for built environment practitioners on integrating water cycle management with urban design, developed with CIWEM, ICE, Landscape Institute, RTPI, Urban Design Group, Arup and AECOM.
Retrofitting to Manage Surface Water (C713) ↗
Guidance on retrofitting SuDS and surface water management measures into existing urban areas to reduce flood risk and improve water quality.
Using SuDS to Reduce Phosphorus in Surface Water Runoff (C808F) ↗
Good practice guidance on SuDS treatment trains for phosphorus reduction, particularly for sensitive receiving waters and nature conservation sites.
ciriabest – Benefits Estimation Tool
Online spatial tool for estimating the monetary value of blue-green infrastructure benefits, enabling robust business cases for SuDS and nature-based solutions investment.
Governing Water as a System – Policy Brief ↗
Sets out five priority shifts for systemic water governance: governing the full hydrological cycle, centering climate policy on water, advancing transboundary cooperation, and connecting water across global policy processes.
Unpacking Water Governance: A Framework for Practitioners ↗
Describes core components and attributes of water governance and constructs an operational framework covering service delivery, water resources management, and transboundary waters.
Governing the Full Hydrological Cycle to Strengthen Water Resilience ↗
Issue brief on governing green water (soil moisture, vegetation, atmospheric moisture) alongside blue water to strengthen climate resilience and ecosystem health.
Improving Approaches to Demand Forecasting ↗
Latest UKWIR guidance supporting robust household and non-household demand forecasting methodologies for WRMP29 and beyond.
UKWIR Research Library ↗
Searchable library of over 1,000 open-access water sector research reports covering drinking water quality, carbon, resilience, demand management, and infrastructure innovation.
Reliable, Resilient and Sustainable Water Management: The Safe & SuRe Approach ↗
Seminal paper presenting a framework linking global threats to water system performance, defining reliability, resilience and sustainability as distinct objectives for urban water management.
Urban Drainage (5th edition) ↗
The standard reference textbook on urban drainage systems covering sewer design, SuDS, urban flooding, and water quality, with over 1,700 citations.
Towards Adaptive Resilience for the Future of Integrated Water Systems Planning ↗
Review proposing an Adaptive Resilience Planning framework merging resilience metrics with adaptive planning methods for integrated water systems under deep uncertainty.
Integrated Water Resources Management: Lost on the Road from Ambition to Realisation? ↗
Influential critical assessment of IWRM approaches examining the gap between aspiration and practice, with 338 citations. Foundational reading for integrated water management.
Planning Advice for Integrated Water Management ↗
Advice note with 30+ case studies aimed at planners, demystifying water management and showing how IWM benefits business, government and communities. Co-developed with Defra, EA, TCPA, CIWEM, and CIRIA.
National Standards for Sustainable Drainage Systems ↗
First major update to the SuDS standards in a decade, establishing seven standards covering runoff destinations, rainfall interception, peak flow control, water quality, amenity, biodiversity, and maintenance.
DWI Governance Framework for Rainwater Harvesting and Greywater Reuse Systems ↗
Regulatory roadmap recommending a single Approved Code of Practice for water reuse, risk-based framework aligned with WHO Water Safety Plans, improved training and accreditation, and quality standards for non-potable water.
Water Resources 2024–25: Analysis of Water Industry Annual Performance ↗
Annual review of water company performance on leakage, demand, supply, and drought resilience. Key finding: 19% of water still lost to leakage, PCC remains over 136 l/p/d.
BS EN 16941-1:2024 – Rainwater Harvesting Systems ↗
European/British Standard for the design, installation, testing and maintenance of rainwater harvesting systems for non-potable use.
BS EN 16941-2:2021 – Greywater Recycling Systems ↗
European/British Standard for greywater recycling system design, covering light greywater from showers and basins for non-potable reuse.
Ofwat Environmental Incentives Common Framework (EICF) ↗
Establishes high-level principles and processes for water company environmental incentives under Charging Rule 51, referenced throughout the EWSC standardisation work.
A Well-Adapted UK (Fourth Independent Assessment of UK Climate Risk) ↗
Identifies drought as one of the most significant UK climate hazards, predicting a 5bn l/day supply shortfall by 2050, calling for 1-in-500-year drought resilience by 2040 and placing water efficiency at the heart of adaptation.
IWA Principles for Water-Wise Cities ↗
17 principles grouped into four categories (regenerative water services, water sensitive urban design, basin-connected cities, water-wise communities) to help city leaders transition towards sustainable urban water management.
GWP IWRM ToolBox ↗
The world's most comprehensive compendium of ~60 tools, case studies, and technical references on IWRM, covering enabling environments, institutional arrangements, management instruments, and financing.
Integrated Water Resources Management (GWP TEC Background Paper No. 4) ↗
Foundational paper making the case for IWRM globally, defining the concept and process, and providing guidance on implementation across different governance and environmental conditions.
OECD Principles on Water Governance ↗
12 'must-do' principles for designing and implementing effective, efficient and inclusive water governance, endorsed by 170+ stakeholder groups and 38 OECD countries across all water management functions.
OECD Water Governance Indicator Framework ↗
Self-assessment tool with 36 input/process indicators for evaluating the state of water governance using a traffic-light system, applicable across governance scales and water functions.
UN World Water Development Report 2026: Water for All People ↗
Annual flagship report highlighting how gender inequalities undermine global water security, with 2.1bn people still lacking safely managed drinking water, calling for inclusive water governance and gender-responsive policies.
Progress on IWRM (SDG Indicator 6.5.1) – Mid-term Status ↗
Mid-term assessment finding that global IWRM implementation stands at 57% and is alarmingly off-track for 2030, with special focus on climate change impacts on water governance.
Global Report on Sanitation and Wastewater Management in Cities ↗
Comprehensive assessment finding 3.6bn people lack safely managed sanitation and 80%+ of sewage is discharged untreated globally, calling for integrated sanitation and wastewater approaches.
Continental Drying: A Threat to Our Common Future ↗
Flagship report combining satellite data with economic and land-use information to show where and why freshwater is disappearing; global water use increased 25% from 2000–2019, with nearly half in regions already drying out.
Water Security Financing Report 2024 ↗
Joint report from 10 multilateral development banks on water sector financing, investment needs, and innovative financing mechanisms for water security globally.
WHO Guidelines for Drinking-Water Quality (4th ed., 2nd addendum) ↗
The global reference standard for drinking water quality, promoting health-based targets, Water Safety Plans from catchment to consumer, and independent surveillance, including guidance on rainwater harvesting and small supplies.
Copenhagen Cloudburst Management Plan ↗
DKK 11bn (€1.5bn) city-wide plan with 300+ projects combining blue-green surface solutions with underground grey infrastructure, developed after the devastating 2011 cloudburst that caused €800m in damage.
Singapore NEWater Programme ↗
World-leading indirect potable reuse programme using microfiltration, reverse osmosis and UV disinfection to reclaim treated wastewater into ultra-clean NEWater, supplying up to 40% of Singapore's water demand.
Netherlands Room for the River Programme ↗
€2.3bn national programme of 30+ river management projects reducing flood risk by giving rivers more space through dike relocation, floodplain lowering, depoldering, and side channels, while enhancing spatial quality and biodiversity.
Melbourne WSUD Guidelines ↗
Australia's leading water sensitive urban design guidelines covering planning, design, construction and maintenance of WSUD systems, with treatment objectives (80% TSS, 45% TP/TN removal) at lot-to-regional scale.
Re-using Water for Non-Potable Purposes: A Review of Opportunities ↗
Comprehensive review with international case studies exploring non-potable water reuse opportunities across industry, agriculture and urban settings, with recommendations for UK legislation, standards and guidance updates.
Effective Policy Instrument Mixes for Implementing Integrated Flood Risk Management ↗
QCA analysis of 19 Room for the River projects identifying three policy instrument mixes that enable successful integrated flood risk management implementation: integrated contracts, project management, and outside-government approaches.
Beyond the Usual: Public Appraisals of Diverse UK Water Futures ↗
Synthesises findings from deliberative mapping workshops on diverse UK water futures.
Sustainable Water Systems and Practices for New Housing ↗
Explores how sustainable water systems can shift from novel to normal in new housing.
Making Water Smart Communities Work ↗
Lessons for community engagement from six in-depth case studies.
Opening Up Engagement with Sustainable Water Futures ↗
Insights from a Deliberative Mapping workshop on sustainable water infrastructure.
Engaging Communities as Co-Stewards: A Path to Water Smart Futures ↗
Explores how communities can become active co-stewards of water infrastructure.
Awareness and Collaboration Between Institutions for Water Smart Communities ↗
Findings from webinars and survey with local authorities on water sector engagement.
Community Land Trusts and Water Stewardship ↗
Explores how CLTs can serve as vehicles for community-led water stewardship.
Engaging Communities for Water Smart Futures: Insights and Innovations ↗
Reports findings from community engagement in two case study developments.
People's Perspectives on the Future of Water and Housing ↗
Explores public and professional perspectives on water smart communities.
EWSC Key Insight Summary ↗
Summarises key EWSC research findings across value, assets and stewardship.
Rethinking Value ↗
Examines how new understandings of value can enable Water Smart Communities.
Rethinking Stewardship ↗
Explores new stewardship principles for Water Smart Communities.
Rethinking Assets ↗
Examines better integration of assets across water and housing sectors.
Actors, Roles and Value(s) ↗
Maps the ecosystem of WSC actors and their must-do/should-do/can't-do boundaries.
Challenges Facing the Housing Sector ↗
Explores housing sector issues for enabling Water Smart Communities.
Challenges Connecting the Housing and Water Sector ↗
Explores leverage points at the intersection of housing and water management.
Making the Value Case for Action Towards Wider Outcomes ↗
Examines how values shape should-do and could-do actions for IWM investment.
Transitioning Towards Water Smart Communities ↗
Explores how to support transitions and system change for WSCs.
Mobilising Collective Action Through Design-Led Approaches ↗
How design-led approaches can lead public sector innovation for water-smart infrastructure.
Enhancing Stewardship and Decision-Making for Sustainable Water Management ↗
Decision-making frameworks for sustainable water management governance.
Amplifying Impact Through Anchor Networks ↗
Potential of anchor networks for scaling WSCs via collective institutional influence.
Mitigating Water-Related Risks Through Local Stewardship ↗
How local stewardship models can mitigate water risks.
Essential Frameworks for the Sustainable Development of Common Goods ↗
Proposes multi-value system level agreements for sustainable development of common goods.
Mitigating Water-Related Risks Through Integrated Asset Management ↗
How critical asset types across water and housing can be integrated.
How to Implement and Benefit from a Multi-Value Flow in Local Communities ↗
Unpacks multi-value flows and cascading benefits from water-smart investments.
Place-Based Stewardship in Other Sectors ↗
Lessons from innovative partnership working in other sectors.
Shaping Local Economies Through Anchor Activity ↗
How water utilities can use economic power to shape local economies.
WaND: Guidance on Water Cycle Management for New Developments (C690) ↗
Guidance on achieving improved sustainable water cycle management in new developments, covering greywater reuse, rainwater harvesting, SuDS, water efficiency, and stakeholder engagement.
Delivering Better Water Management Through the Planning System (C787F) ↗
Free guidance identifying critical success factors for successful IWM through the planning system, with case studies and policy review. Supported by CIWEM, RTPI, TCPA, CaBA.
Water Cycle Studies: Planning Sustainable Growth ↗
EA guidance for LPAs and developers on when and how to prepare water cycle studies.
Water Compendium: Who's Doing What in Housing Worldwide (NF98) ↗
International comparison of water efficiency and decentralised water reuse across 10 countries.
Water Ready: A Report to Inform HM Government's Roadmap for Water Efficient New Homes ↗
Cross-industry report proposing a 10-year roadmap for water efficiency in new homes targeting 90 l/p/d.
Green Infrastructure Partnership (GIP) ↗
TCPA-led network of 2,000+ members sharing blue-green infrastructure news, policy and publications across the UK.
Flanders Rainwater Decree 2023 (Hemelwaterverordening) ↗
Flemish decree mandating rainwater capture, reuse, infiltration, buffering for all new constructions and major renovations.
Décret n° 2023-835 – Rainwater & Treated Wastewater Reuse ↗
French decree simplifying wastewater reuse authorisation and permitting rainwater use for non-domestic purposes.
The Cunliffe Review: An Opportunity to Better Manage Rainwater Where It Lands ↗
Policy article arguing that the Cunliffe Review and forthcoming Water Bill present a once-in-a-generation opportunity to embed rainwater management into UK legislation, advocating for two simple principles: slow rain down and use it where it lands.
Rainwater Management Platform (Ofwat Innovation Fund) ↗
£2m Ofwat Innovation Fund project led by Wessex Water with CIRIA, Stantec, HR Wallingford, and UKWIR, developing a modern digital platform to replace the outdated SuDS Manual approach with integrated rainwater management tools covering harvesting, reuse, infiltration, and attenuation.
Enabling Water Smart Communities (Youtube Channel)
Repository for various IWM videos & webinar series
Sustainable water systems and practices for new housing: Shifting from ‘novel’ to ‘normal’ ↗
How do we maximise the benefits of sustainable water systems in new housing developments? How can we ensure positive outcomes are sustained long term? Who should be responsible for managing, maintaining and repairing novel water systems? Who should be accountable when they fail? How can trust in novel water management solutions be built?
Water smart communities – What are they? What and who are they for? A review of industry and academic research. ↗
Adopting a semi-systematic approach, this review analysed 72 documents that envision new build communities in the UK, exploring how these documents represent 'water practices' and any corresponding visions for 'water smart communities' in the UK.
Social practice theory and household water demand: A review of literature and research evidence
This state-of-the-art review examines evidence of how social practices have been deployed in research on water demand. It concludes with implications for future research, policy and practice.
Tracing invisible impacts of housing and planning policy on water: Summary Report ↗
Identifies connections between housing policy and water demand, identifying opportunities for housing policy to contribute to demand reduction.
Normalising Water Smart Communities - Insights from Professionals and Potential Future Residents: Enabling Water Smart Communities Initial Workshop Proceedings ↗
This document presents a synthesis of proceedings from two workshops held in February and March 2025 with water smart community professionals and potential future residents. The workshops aimed to unravel issues around normalising water smart communities so that people live in these homes and communities as expected and that suitable governance enables their benefits to be maintained long-term.
“Unflushables”: Establishing a global agenda for action on everyday practices associated with sewer blockages, water quality, and plastic pollution ↗
This paper established a social science evidence base on unsustainable disposal practices that contribute to sewer blockages and pollution in the water network. It presents an advanced review of multi-disciplinary research, applied to the challenge of 'Unflushables'.
Towards the long-term effectiveness of Water Sensitive Urban Design assets on private land: lessons from a case study review ↗
The aim of this research was to explore the factors that can support or hinder the ongoing performance of WSUD assets on private residential land, through a case study analysis. Four projects where WSUD assets, in this case rainwater tanks, have been widely implemented on privately-owned residential properties in Greater Melbourne were included in the analysis.
Milton Keynes_x0002_Integrated Water Management Study Phase 1 ↗
Evidence base study outlining growth to 2050 and assessing integrated water management options across supply, wastewater, surface water and flood risk to inform planning policy.
Greater Manchester Integrated Water Management Plan ↗
ollaborative plan aligning partners to manage the whole water cycle, reduce flood risk, improve water quality and support sustainable growth through integrated delivery and investment planning.
Water Reuse Europe resources and databases ↗
Various Water Reuse Europe Industry platform providing databases of water reuse schemes, research projects and papers to support knowledge exchange and advancement of circular water reuse practices.
Integrated Water Management ↗
National Farmers Union Policy paper highlighting the need for integrated approaches to manage flood and drought risks in agriculture, improve resilience and coordinate action across sectors.
Sustainable Drainage Systems Design Guide (Essex) ↗
Technical guidance for designing SuDS in development, covering runoff control, climate resilience, water quality, biodiversity and maintenance requirements.
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Clear filters112 resources, from the master sheet. Items marked ↗ open on an external site; the rest are EWSC Outputs published here. Cover images are placeholders.