Water Label legislation is expected to come into effect by 2024, reported Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) spokesperson Kimberley Alden-Parsons at the Bathroom Manufacturers Sustainability Forum.

It forms part of the Government’s 25-year environmental plan which sets out the ambition for a greener future and to achieve a plentiful water supply.

The Government launched a consultation in 2019 on methods to reduce personal water use and in July 2021 released a ministerial statement to set out policies for addressing water efficiency.

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Kimberley Alden-Parsons pointed out the policies covered water leakage, reducing business water use and enabling the development of more water efficient homes.

She said the development of water efficient homes is where mandatory water labelling comes into play, as well as the suggestion of developing a roadmap to reviewing Building Regulations Part G.

Alden-Parsons stated: “Water labelling has been confirmed as one of our major and most widely-supported options to help us to reduce water consumption in our efforts to increase sustainability into the future.”

She said water labelling is important because schemes around the world, such as USA and Australia, look like a “good” opportunity for higher water saving in the long term.

Alden-Parsons added water labelling will help raise public awareness, encourage buy in, and hopes it will continue to drive innovation in relation to water sustainability.

Defra will work on a consultation on mandatory water efficiency labelling in early to mid 2022, which will form an agreed approach to delivering the policy.

It will be a joint consultation between Defra and the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), as it will also have an impact on carbon neutral targets.

Defra reported it will work towards delivering the legislation for a water label by 2024, with a lag period to prepare for the Water Label becoming mandatory.

In addition, Government will be developing a roadmap for evaluating Building Regulations Part G and possibly H to encourage greater water efficiency.

There is an appetite by Government to understand the impact mandatory water labelling will have on the sector and to understand concerns.

Bathroom Manufacturers Association will work with Government and advocate the Unified Water Label.