Our Water Reuse Summary
About the New White Paper
We’re only halfway through January, and the UK Government has already made a major announcement on water reuse. The news comes in the form of the long anticipated White Paper on Water Sector Reforms and for those of us working in water reuse, it is a big moment.
What is it?
The White Paper sets out the UK Government’s vision for the future of the water sector. It is the official response to the Cunliffe Report, published in July 2025, which made 88 independent recommendations on how the sector should be reformed.
You may remember that Recommendation 40 of the Cunliffe Report specifically called on the UK and Welsh Governments to develop new policies and regulations to drive the uptake of water reuse and rainwater harvesting in both residential and non-household developments.
With such clear recommendations on water reuse, the industry has been waiting and watching for the Government’s response. Now, we finally have it.
Key Messages on Water Reuse
While water reuse is just one part of a much wider reform of the water sector, it received some important and encouraging mentions throughout the White Paper. These references clearly signal the Government’s intent to create a stronger, clearer regulatory environment for reuse. So, what stood out?
- More water reuse is mentioned right at the start of the report in the water security overview, setting the tone for how seriously the Government is taking this issue.
- Later in the document, the paper states that we will go further and look at ways of helping drive reuse and rainwater harvesting uptake for large non household developments. This is backed up by a commitment to establishing a customer working group to explore how this can be delivered in practice.
- The White Paper also references work already underway to understand how water reuse could be implemented at a residential scale, particularly through the Part G consultation.
- Interestingly, there is also an ambition to remove falling block tariffs, moving away from a system that rewards high water use and replacing it with one that incentivises water efficiency.
Our Take
Our thoughts on the White Paper
At Stormsaver, we see this White Paper as a clear step in the right direction for water reuse. What was once considered a nice to have is now becoming a necessity as we move ever closer to a forecast daily water deficit of 5 billion litres by 2055.
There has recently been a strong focus on residential water reuse, which is hugely positive. However, until now, there has been a noticeable gap in the conversation around commercial, non-household and public sector buildings, where some of the biggest water savings can be achieved. This White Paper goes a long way towards addressing that gap.
We also believe the proposed customer working group should not be limited to a single customer type. Instead, it should bring together all stakeholders involved in the design, installation, operation and maintenance of water reuse systems. This includes manufacturers, developers, end users, facilities managers, public health engineers, civil engineers and Lead Local Flood Authorities.
Bringing these perspectives together will help the industry move forward collectively and champion water reuse as standard practice in new developments.
What does this mean for you?
If you are a public health engineer, civil engineer or work within a Lead Local Flood Authority, now is the time to deepen your understanding of water reuse, rainwater harvesting and greywater recycling, so you are prepared for when these technologies become widespread.
Our accredited CPDs, which have been attended by thousands of engineers over the years, share practical insights drawn from decades of real-world experience and best practice. We would strongly encourage you to book onto one of these highly attended sessions and stay ahead of the curve.
