Resources & circularity
Resources & circularity
2 minutes min
Reduced freshwater consumption
Water stress is becoming a major issue in some regions. Buildings should reduce their fresh water consumption, and even aim for autonomy in water supply during their useful life, by recycling grey and rainwater for example.
FAQ
Why is it important?
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Water demand x6 in last century
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Many regions under water stress (withdrawal of more than 25% of their renewable freshwater resources), increasing with global warming and urbanization
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780,000 deaths each year caused by unsafe water
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Also contributes to saving other resources, such as energy needed for pumping and distributing water (water sector responsible of 4% of the world's energy consumption)
How to implement it in buildings?
Need to tackle both the embodied water (used during manufacturing of products used in the buildings and during the construction phase) and the operation water (used during the service life of the building).
To reduce embodied water:
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Products manufactured with low volumes of water
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Dry construction techniques on worksites
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Adaptable buildings, that can integrate future recycling of grey water for example
To reduce operational water:
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Efficient equipment
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Recover grey water for on-site use (toilet flushing, landscape irrigation)
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Eliminate leaks
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Design for water efficiency
How do we act?
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PAM pipes: reduced water leakage
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Chryso water-reducers