Water infrastructure must be prepared for a hotter future following continued pressure on Britain’s water networks during recent heatwaves, according to the Copper Sustainability Partnership (CuSP).
British utility companies, including Severn Trent and South East Water, have reported some of their highest ever levels of customer demand during this year’s heatwaves.
The Met Office has stated that heatwaves are expected to increase in both frequency and intensity over the coming decades. CuSP has highlighted the importance of a long-term approach to material selection in the UK’s water systems to cope with the increasingly challenging climate conditions.
Copper has been used successfully in plumbing and water infrastructure for generations and remains one of the most durable and resilient materials available, the partnership said. However, it added that, in recent years, plastic pipework has become an increasingly common choice for many councils and independent bodies due to its lower upfront installation cost.
To combat this, CuSP has made a call to action to the plumbing industry to ensure that infrastructure is future proofed, with plastic piping running the risk of thermal expansion, softening and deformation in hotter climates.
Oliver Lawton, co-founder of CuSP, said: “Too often, infrastructure decisions are driven by short-term considerations.
“With climate pressures increasing, asset owners and developers should be focusing on lifetime performance, resilience and environmental impact. The materials selected today will still be in service decades from now, when hotter summers may be the norm rather than the exception.
“As industries invest further in the infrastructure that is built to last, we believe copper should play a central role in delivering systems that are robust, sustainable and fit for a hotter Britain.
“Futureproofing our water infrastructure will require a combination of copper materials, smart water management and essential collaboration between the plumbing industry, trade associations and public sector bodies.”