UK Housing Minister Iain Wright has tightened up standards for efficient and safe water use in new homes.

Under the measures, which come into force this October, newly built homes will have to meet a minimum water efficiency standard of 125 litres per person per day.

“Water plays an important role in making homes more sustainable, and the measures we announced today will help make new homes even greener as part of our commitment to zero carbon homes from 2016,” commented Wright.

The Government has a target of reducing water usage from the current level of 150 litres per person per day to 130 per person per day by 2030. Countries such the Netherlands, which have pursued water efficiency measures, use an average of around 125 litres per person per day.

The amendments to Part G – sanitation, hot water safety and water efficiency – of the Building Regulations also lay out where greywater and harvested rainwater can be used.

The new Building Regulations will also stipulate the fitting of protective measures, such as thermostatic mixing valves, to limit the temperature of the hot water, and extend existing safety measures to all types of hot water system.

To allow builders and developers to estimate water usage under the new regulations, the Department of Communities and Local Government is publishing a Water Efficiency Calculator for New Dwellings.