University awarded £500k to save water on campus

1 day ago

Mariam Issimdar

Pipework could be replaced and toilet sensors installed

PA Media A close-up picture of a running tap. — Pipework could be replaced and toilet sensors installed

A university has been given more than £500,000 to introduce new water-efficiency measures.

The money for the Cambridge campus at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) is from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

It is part of a scheme known as the Greater Cambridge Water Efficiency Programme, set up by councils and the government to ease the pressure on water supplies.

Cambridge is regularly cited as being the driest city in the UK, receiving about half the national average rainfall, and the East of England is classified as being severely water stressed.

ARU, which also has a campus in Chelmsford, champions being sustainable

ARU The exterior of the Anglia Ruskin University's Lord Ashcroft Building which is partly covered in navy cladding with another building in glass and steel. There are plants in the foreground. — ARU, which also has a campus in Chelmsford, champions being sustainable

ARU has already pledged to "showcase the sustainability principles embedded in our teaching and research".

The funding will see pipework on the Cambridge campus replaced and smart sub-meters installed, as well as a range of smart shower and toilet sensors.

The aim is to help reduce consumption, identify leaks and promote more water-efficient behaviour by students and staff.

The Environment Agency (EA) will monitor the water savings.

James Rolfe, ARU's chief operating officer, said: "We are keenly aware of the water stress experienced by Cambridge and the wider region, which will only intensify as our climate changes."

Anglian Water says the Fens reservoir will be operational by the mid-2030s

Anglian Water A mock-up of what the Fens reservoir would look like, with boats in the water and a dock and some buildings. — Anglian Water says the Fens reservoir will be operational by the mid-2030s

There are challenges around water supply in the wider Cambridge area and the government – which wants to see 150,000 homes built in the city by 2050 – has been supporting conservation schemes.

A reservoir will be built in the Fens between March and Chatteris. It is expected to be operational by 2036.

Anglian Water and Cambridge Water are in the early stages of developing the project. It could supply 250,000 homes.

A new pipeline from an existing reservoir, Grafham Water, to the city is expected to be operational by 2032.

In 2025, the EA lifted its objections to large housing developments in the area by backing the government's plans for water credits, which involve developers investing in measures such as fixing leaks to balance the impact of new developments.

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