Water and energy efficient in buildings must go hand in hand. A holistic approach to water resilience means ensuring the efficiency, durability, and safety of water supply, use, disposal, and infrastructure.

Across Europe, around 15% of the energy used in buildings is for heating water making water resilience a critical part of the EU’s energy transition.

What is water resilience in buildings?

Water resilience goes beyond reducing consumption. It requires integrating water into every stage of the building lifecycle, from design and construction to renovation and operation. For example:

Efficient water use indoors: Adopting hot water efficiency technologies such as aerators, shower thermostats, sensor activated taps, flow restrictors, and wastewater heat recovery for shower drains. Combined with decentralised hot water heating, these measures can improve a building’s energy performance by up to 12%.

Harvesting and reuse systems: Incentivising rainwater and greywater harvesting to reduce dependence on water supply and to improve resilience to drought.

Nature-based solutions for stormwater management.

Digital water management: Using smart meters, sensors, and building management systems to monitor water flows, detect leaks, and optimise usage in real time.

EPCs and water consumption: Considering hot water consumption in Energy Performance Certificates and of water efficiency measures in building codes and standards (including indoor and outdoor water use).