Following on from the announcement that Government plans to introduce a mandatory water efficiency label to inform consumers and provide guidance, BMA chief executive Tom Reynolds says they applaud the move, but the public must be engaged.

“In July this year, when Environment Secretary George Eustice announced new water efficiency measures, including new mandatory water efficiency labelling, details were scarce and the bathroom sector was left clambering for more information.

“Government is making all the right signals, recognising fresh water as the ‘world’s most precious commodity’ and acknowledging there is less of it to go around.

“As water supplies come under increasing pressure from climate change and population growth, these moves are very welcome by the bathroom sector, where we rely on secure supply for our products to function. In the home, it is the consumer who controls the amount of water used, the industry can provide water-efficient products but unless we educate the public on responsible water consumption, we will not reduce wastage. Providing the consumer with a product that limits the amount of water and reduces the efficiency and enjoyment of the experience will defeat the purpose.

“Government’s plans to deliver a ‘package’ of measures is laudable and includes moves to reduce leakage and the development of a roadmap to greater water efficiency in new developments and retrofits.

“We recognise and applaud the progress, it is a big step forward, but it must be accompanied by a clear public engagement campaign to help users understand the impact of their water consumption and influence behaviour change.

“To achieve the reductions required, manufacturers, our retail partners, policymakers and water companies have to deploy every tactic in their repertoire. It has never been more important to cooperate and work together to protect the UK’s supply and raise the profile of water efficiency.”

Under building regulations all baths in healthcare environments should be fitted with a thermostatic mixing valve that is TMV3 certified, but that doesn’t appear to have been the case in the bathtime scalding death of 93 year old dementia patient Frances Norris in a care home. 

Aster Healthcare, the healthcare firm concerned in the legal proceedings surrounding the death, has pleaded guilty to corporate manslaughter.

Cynthia Fisher, commercial director at TMV specialist Intatec, was part of the campaign to get anti-scald legislation introduced throughout the early 2000s which resulted in a change to building regulations in 2010. 

She said: “There is no excuse for a bathtime scalding death in a healthcare setting. Every TMV2 and TMV3 accredited valve should meet strict operating criteria to not allow a bath to fill with scalding hot water. 

“The legislation for domestic bathrooms has been around for more than a decade and for healthcare settings much longer than that, so how has this happened?

“The valves aren’t expensive and they aren’t difficult to fit. A thermostatic mixing valve iis meant to be an absolute standard for any bath installation. 

“A valve should be fitted, regularly serviced and there is absolutely no reason why it shouldn’t be working. 

“What has happened is tragic and it’s incredibly disappointing that we’re seeing yet another avoidable death. 

“The press reports I’ve seen covering the case don’t mention that the bath should have been fitted with a safety device, so I think it’s important to reiterate that all new baths in healthcare environments need to be fitted with anti-scald devices – it’s the law.”

Hansgrohe has launched a new influencer marketing initiative and invited three leading interiors and lifestyle influencers to participate in its My Concept Bathroom campaign. Laura Hunter, Melanie Lissock and Dee Campling have all used products with different finishes from Hansgrohe’s FinishPlus range to create their own bathroom design concept.

The FinishPlus collection offers a choice of five finishes – Chrome, Matt Black, Matt White, Brushed Black Chrome, Polished Gold Optic and Brushed Bronze, enabling individuals to inject a touch of personality into their bathroom schemes.

Laura Hunter from No Feature Walls designed her concept around the theme of ‘modern chintz’ and used the Raindance Overhead 300 Shower and Raindance Select Hand-shower in the Brushed Bronze finish. Melanie Lissack opted for ‘floral injection’ as her theme, and selected the Rainfinity Overhead Shower and Hand Shower in the Matt White finish. Dee Campling, pictured, chose ‘relaxed bohemian’ as her theme. She incorporated soft greenery to bring the outside in, and chose the Raindance Select S Showerpipe and Wallstoris Shower Bundle in Matt Black.