We support pioneering projects to help businesses and households use less water
- A new £495,000 project led by our Wates Innovation Network (WIN) partners will see more than 1,000 sensors installed across 30 commercial buildings, helping us identify wasted water and drive practical improvements.
- The 50-litre Home England Pilot is trialling innovative appliances, water-efficient products and behavioural science in UK homes to help reduce household water use by 30–40%, while improving quality of life and lowering bills.
Water is emerging as one of the built environment’s most pressing sustainability challenges. While significant progress has been made in reducing carbon emissions and improving energy efficiency, many organisations still lack the insight needed to understand where water is being wasted and how consumption can be reduced.
That’s why we’re excited to be part of two innovative projects funded through Ofwat’s Water Efficiency Lab (WEL) programme, helping to explore and develop practical ways to improve water efficiency across both commercial buildings and homes.
The first project, funded with approximately £495,000, is being delivered by a consortium led by WIN partners Quensus and Direk, alongside Wates, Aviva, Everflow, the University of Surrey, Weir the Agency and Waterwise.
Over the next 18 months, more than 1,000 sensors and monitoring technologies will be installed across 30 commercial buildings to identify leaks, inefficiencies and hidden water waste. The resulting insights will help facilities management teams target improvements, reduce consumption and enhance building performance.
We will play a key role in supporting technology deployment, site access and facilities management integration, helping to ensure the data and insights generated are translated into practical operational improvements.
One of the greatest strengths of the Wates Innovation Network is its ability to bring together innovative suppliers, industry partners and academia to solve real-world challenges. This project demonstrates how innovation can move beyond ideas and into practical deployment, creating measurable environmental impact.
“By working with WIN partners such as Quensus, Direk and Waterwise, we are helping to accelerate the adoption of technologies and approaches that can improve water efficiency across both commercial buildings and homes.
“Through our partnership with Waterwise, we’re also supporting the £1.5 million 50-litre Home England Pilot, led by Northumbrian Water and backed by Ofwat. Bringing together partners from across the housing, manufacturing and water sectors, the project is exploring how smarter homes, innovative products and behavioural science can help households significantly reduce their water use.”
Dr Zainab Dangana
Head of Sustainable Technologies at Wates Group
These projects show how collaboration can help tackle water challenges across the built environment. Whether in commercial properties or residential communities, better data and insight can help us understand where water is being wasted and identify the actions that will have the greatest impact.
“As pressure on water resources continues to grow, initiatives like these will play an important role in developing scalable solutions that help businesses and households use water more efficiently, while improving long-term resilience.”
Martin Ballard
Head of Environment at Wates Group
