Guidance Documents

Below you will find a range of documents which will guide you through the current state of play in the UK rainwater harvesting industry.

Waterwise White Paper

Waterwise is a UK NGO focused on driving water efficiency. It is the leading UK authority on water efficiency. Waterwise is developing the Evidence Base for Large Scale Water Efficiency in Homes.

Harvesting Rainwater for domestic uses (Environment Agency)

This document provides information on rainwater harvesting systems in the UK. It covers the supply of non-potable water for domestic uses such as flushing the toilet, watering the garden and washing clothes using a washing machine. It does not cover systems supplying water for drinking, food preparation or personal hygiene.

Rainwater Harvesting: an on -farm guide

Water is essential for farming but is often taken for granted. Yet in many parts of England and Wales, water resources are already scarce and are likely to become even scarcer as a result of climate change . This document provides an overview of the techniques, and challenges of delivering on-farm rainwater harvesting.

Rainwater harvesting systems. Code of practice . BS BS EN 16941-1:2018

Establishes standards for the installation, testing and maintenance of rainwater harvesting systems for non-potable applications. It includes standards for filtration, for the manufacture and installation of storage tanks and a series of approaches for calculating the sizes of tanks. Annex C also sets out colour standards for pipework to distinguish it from the mains supply.

Codes for Sustainable homes
The code for sustainable homes is the national standard for the sustainable design and construction of new homes. It aims to reduce carbon emissions and promote higher standards of sustainable design above the current minimum standards set out by the building regulations. The code is voluntary and is not a set of regulations.