Tom Reynolds, chief executive at the Bathroom Manufacturers Association, outlines the water efficiency labelling regulations expected to come into force by 2025.

As I write, the devasting consequences of Storm Babet are coming to light with the Environment Secretary, Therese Coffey, saying the damage was harder to predict because of “rain coming from the other way, and we don’t have quite as much experience on that”. It feels like a weak excuse and highlights our inadequate infrastructure. But it also highlights a UK-wide conundrum: it rains a lot, yet we have a severe water scarcity challenge to address.

Defra’s statistics say we will need an additional 4,000 million litres of water a day by 2050, almost a third (28.5%) of current public water supplied in England, with over half of it coming from reduced demand. Their target is to reduce public water supply use by 20% for each person by 2038 through measures including “to make regulations to introduce a mandatory water efficiency label to inform consumers and encourage the purchase of more water-efficient products for both domestic and business use”.

At the end of September, Defra published the long-awaited response to its consultation on mandatory water efficiency labelling (MWEL), in which the BMA had provided expert input. The headlines include a projected launch of MWEL regulations next year with implementation by 2025, covering toilets, urinals, taps, showers (including electric models), dishwashers, washing machines, and washer-dryers. Notably, manufacturers must adhere to any new technical criteria and testing.

While we welcome and champion attempts for water efficiency to address our water scarcity challenges, if Defra continues its current intentions for the MWEL, it will have missed an enormous opportunity and potentially cost the taxpayer around £20m unnecessarily.

The UK already has the Unified Water Label (UWL), a voluntary initiative that provides detailed water and energy information for water-related products. IKEA and BMA’s branded manufacturers have adopted the UWL to highlight their products’ water usage. With water-use ratings and an accessible online database, this label enables informed choices for customers, architects, specifiers, and end users. It maintains reliability through strict technical criteria and annual audits.

The BMA will continue proactive dialogue with Defra to reach a sensible conclusion which could see the utilisation of the UWL. In the meantime, I would urge architects and designers to remain aware of their opportunity to play a vital role in reducing our water use by specifying water-efficient products, many of which are available through the UWL scheme. Regulation is coming, so awareness and practice for water efficiency should be addressed quickly.

The Thomas Crapper team has successfully cycled 250 miles to raise money for Bowel Cancer UK and to spread the word about the importance of early diagnosis.

The team took time out of their busy schedules to take part in a static bike ride at the Huddersfield HQ. So far, £1,410 has been raised for the charity, and the JustGiving page is still open, so there is time to donate.

Managing director (and cyclist!), Paul Dwyer, comments: “We were eager to start raising money for Bowel Cancer UK and, as the Thomas Crapper team is small and mighty, we decided on a static bike ride as our first fundraising event. The date was set, bikes were sourced, social team was briefed, PR and marketing content was in place…and we were off!”

All-in-all, the event was a huge success with the Thomas Crapper team reaching 250 miles way faster than anticipated. It was agreed that the next event will have to be more of a challenge. Stay tuned!

Bowel Cancer UK is the UK’s leading bowel cancer charity. The team is on a mission to save lives and improve the quality of life of everyone affected by bowel cancer. Every year, nearly 43,000 people in the UK are told that they have bowel cancer. It is the UK’s second biggest cancer killer – over 16,500 people die from the disease each year. However, bowel cancer is treatable and curable if caught early and around 90% of people will survive for five years or more. Together we can work towards a world where no one dies of bowel cancer.

For more information on Thomas Crapper, please visit www.thomas-crapper.com.

For more information on Bowel Cancer UK, please visit www.bowelcanceruk.org.uk

Pictured is some of Thomas Crapper team during the 250 mile cycle.