Calls for urgent law change as UK’s largest water reuse system cannot be switched on

The UK's largest water reuse system in Cambridgeshire, capable of saving thousands of litres of water daily for residents in a drought-prone region, cannot be activated due to compliance with drinking water regulations. Installed in 2021 within an urban housing development in Cambridgeshire, the model water recycling system has remained inactive since completion.

Thousands of residents could benefit daily, with an estimated water conservation of 25 litres per person. The Eddington urban quarter, a mixed development comprising housing, student accommodation, academic research space, a primary school, and a nursery, was designed to reduce water consumption to around 80 litres per person per day.

However, the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) has deemed the system unlawful, citing Section 70 of the 1991 Water Act and regulation 4 of the water supply (water quality) regulations 2016, which stipulate that water supplied for domestic use must meet drinking water standards. Despite ministers being aware of the issue and ministers acknowledging the need for action, no legislative change has been implemented, and the system remains inoperative.

Lutz Johnen, the chair of the UK Water Reuse Association, emphasized the urgent need to remove this barrier and replicate the system nationwide, highlighting that alternative technologies have been successfully employed internationally for years. Meanwhile, water companies such as Cambridge Water and Anglian Water have imposed hosepipe bans as reservoirs dwindle, exacerbating the country's water crisis expected to persist by 2055.