[영국] 템즈워터, 물 재이용 급수시설에 수도 요금 할인

 

 

[사진출처 = Thames Water]

 

템즈워터(Thames Water)는 이달 초 열린 연례 건축 개발자 회의에서 100명 이상의 건축 업계 대표자들에게 빗물 수집, 중수 도입 등 건물에 효율적인 수도 장치를 설치할 경우 3단계에 걸친 요금할인을 제공하겠다고 밝혔다.

 

템즈워터에 따르면 샤워기 및 세탁기와 같은 장치를 사용해 물사용이 적은 새로운 건물을 짓거나 수도꼭지, 변기 등 급수시설에 빗물재이용 및 하수재이용을 사용하는 주택 개발업자에게 요금할인을 제공한다.

 

이는 템즈워터가 물재이용을 통한 물중립성을 달성하기 위한 것으로 절수 장치를 통해 기존 주택의 누수 수리 및 신축 건물의 물절약으로 최대 1천800파운드를 절약할 수 있다.

 

앤드류 터커(Andrew Tucker) 템즈워터의 수요 관리 책임자는 “높은 물 효율성 기준을 충족하는 주택을 짓는 것은 올바른 방향으로 가는 중요한 단계이며 건축 개발자들이 계획 및 설계 의제에서 물 효율성 계획을 더 많이 고려해 주기를 바란다”며 “이 프로젝트는 건축 개발자가 물공급 대체 기술을 도입하고 기존 주택을 보다 물 효율적인 방향으로 만들어 새로운 물수요를 상쇄할 수 있도록 돕는 것을 목표로 한다. 이는 물중립 뿐만 아니라 고객의 수도요금을 줄이는 데 도움을 줄 수 있을 것”이라고 말했다. 

 

템즈워터는 또한 이번 프로젝트가 공공 하수도 네트워크에 유입되지 않고 유출되는 지표수를 관리하기 위해 혁신적인 방법과 지속가능한 배수 옵션을 사용하는 건축 개발자에게 할인을 제공할 예정이라고 밝혔다.

 

영국 남동부는 환경청에 따르면 하수로 유입되지 않는 지표수가 ‘심각한 물 스트레스’로 분류되고 있으며 이를 해결하지 않을 경우 2040년까지 하루 최대 11억 리터의 물부족이 예상된다. 이를 위해 영국 물산업계에서는 물사용을 줄이기 위한 새 주택의 물성능에 관한 정부의 정책과 건축 규정 등을 새롭게 마련 중이다.

 

[원문보기]

 

Thames Water to reward housing developers who achieve water neutrality

 

Housing developers who commit to building new properties fitted with low water using devices like showers and washing machines and use rainwater or ‘grey water*’ for toilet flushing and watering plants, will be offered discounts on the charges they pay Thames Water to connect to the public water supply.

 

The new scheme launched earlier this month to more than 100 building industry representatives, at Thames Water’s annual developer conference, offers a three-stage discount on new connection charges to developers who go the extra mile to install water efficient devices, introduce rainwater harvesting or greywater recycling and achieve water neutrality.

 

The more water efficiency options the developer signs up to, the more attractive the discount, with the most ambitious encouraged to achieve water neutrality by also retrofitting water saving devices and fixing leaks in existing homes. This will offset the water that will be used by the new properties meaning there will be no net increase in demand for water in the local area. By committing to water neutrality developers could potentially save up to £1,800 per property on their connection costs.

 

Thames Water’s head of demand management, Andrew Tucker, said: “To keep taps running for future generations and to protect sensitive rivers and chalk streams we need to reduce the amount of water we all use. This includes us fixing more leaks but also people using less water in their daily lives.

 

“Building homes that meet high water efficiency standards is an important step in the right direction and we hope our water efficiency scheme will inspire developers to put water higher up on their planning and design agendas. It aims to help developers introduce alternative water supply technologies and offset their new water demand by making the surrounding existing homes become more water efficient.  We can work together to make new homes become water neutral and help reduce existing customers’ bill at the same time.” 

 

Thames Water’s developer scheme also offers discounts to developers who use innovative methods and sustainable drainage options to manage surface water run-off from their developments rather than have it enter the public sewer network.

Reducing the volume of surface water from roads and roofs entering the sewers, frees up capacity and reduces the risk of spillages and storm overflows.

 

The South east of England is classed as “seriously water stressed” by the Environment Agency and if no action is taken, shortfalls of up to 1.1bn litres of water a day are forecast by 2040. A plan launched by all south-east based water companies in January, outlined the need for consumers to use less water to help avoid the shortfalls.

 

The UK water industry is also lobbying for changes to Government policy, water labelling and building regulations around the water performance of new homes to help residents use less.

 

Waterwise managing director, Nicci Russell, said: “This is a fantastic scheme and I urge developers to take Thames Water up on it - these discounts mean new houses waste less water and cost less to build.

 

“We've known for a while how scarce water is right across the UK, and recent data shows the gap between how well we're doing on water efficiency, and how much we need to do, is getting bigger, not smaller. We're all going to have to recalibrate how we use water in our everyday lives within our lifetimes, to make sure the water we do have goes as far as it needs to for people and the environment and moving into homes which have water-efficient devices built in is a really helpful start. Knowing what we know about water scarcity and social justice we really should not be building homes that waste water. Bravo Thames Water - Developers, it's on you now to step up.”

 

*Grey water is the relatively clean waste water from baths, sinks, washing machines, and other kitchen appliances

 

[출처 = Thames Water(https://www.thameswater.co.uk/about-us/newsroom/latest-news/2022/feb/rewards-for-developers-who-achieve-water-neutrality) / 2022년 2월 28일자 보도자료]