Our planet

Water and air quality

We integrate water efficiency measures in the homes we build and work to reduce water use in our operations, to protect water quality during construction and to manage surface water and reduce flood risk on our completed developments.

Development

Water

We estimate that around 42% of our plots are built in areas of high water stress, based on the World Resources Institute’s (WRI) Water Risk Atlas tool, Aqueduct and this could increase as we feel the impact of a changing climate. Our Water Policy commits us to reduce water use and protect water environments and we have a target to reduce water use by 10% by 2025.

We used 37.3m3 of metered mains water per 100 sqm of build in 2023 (2022: 28.9m3). Water consumption has reduced by 28% since 2019; however, water intensity has increased by 9.3% over the same period. We believe the intensity increase is due to the drop in completions. While we completed fewer homes there was only a small reduction in the number of outlets which meant we continued to use water for activities such as dust suppression and in our offices and site compounds.

We are working with local authorities in some areas to address challenges associated with nutrient and water neutrality issues. Our Nutrient Working Group meets monthly to exchange updates best practices and we have been engaging with the UK Government, Natural England, water authorities and the Home Builders Federation on this issue. We are integrating measures on and off-site to address nutrient neutrality concerns such as wetland areas and wastewater treatment plants.

CDP Water Security Score Report 2023

CDP Water Security Submission 2023

Air quality

We manage air quality on our sites during construction through dust control and the use of protective equipment, see Occupational Health. We have conducted research with the Building Research Establishment (BRE) to understand the factors that influence internal air quality in the homes we build. This highlighted the importance of correct installation and use of ventilation systems and extractor fans and engaging with subcontractors on our standards. We include guidance for customers on how to maintain good air quality at home in our home manual and maintenance guide.