Building Sustainable Homes

A reduced rate will apply to infrastructure charges for developments which meet specified qualifying criteria.

Sustainable water infrastructure charge

Qualifying criteria - where you can demonstrate, using the current WRC water calculator that properties are built with water efficient fittings and fixed appliances that mean water usage would not exceed the potential consumption of 100 litres per person, per day.

How do I apply?

• To apply for a discount on your water infrastructure you must identify your request on your application for water services.
• A completed WRC Water calculator found here along with all relevant product specification sheets and a completed disclaimer (signed by the developer) must be submitted to us no later than the signed Water Adoption Agreement being returned to us for self-lay mains laying schemes or a signed Acceptance Note being returned to us for all other developments. Guidance can be found here water calculator form.

Late or retrospective applications for the sustainable infrastructure charge cannot be accepted onto the scheme.

Note that your site will be audited to verify the fixtures and fittings included in the application to ensure compliance. Should we establish through audit that the fixtures and fittings do not comply with the accepted calculator or specifications, we will notify you and reserve the right to charge full infrastructure charges for the property which failed the audit and remaining plots on site which are not yet connected.

Where a developer fails two audits in a 12 month period they will not be eligible to apply for the water sustainability scheme on any future developments. Please see here for more details regarding eligibility following failed audits.

Additional information

• The water calculator is designed to help compliance with Building Regulations Approved Document G. It is designed for the ‘whole house’. All parts of the calculator need to be completed to obtain a correct result. Missing information will be highlighted if a whole house is not completed.
• WRc provide a frequently asked questions document which can be found here.
• The water calculator uses the methodology and formulae laid down by the UK Government Department for Communities and Local Government.
• The water calculator uses products registered in the WEPLS database (Water Efficient Product Labelling Scheme). It also allows manual additions for products that are not yet listed in WEPLS.
• Products registered in the WEPLS database fully conform with the requirements of the Water Regulations 1999.

Sustainable sewerage infrastructure charge

Qualifying criteria - where you can demonstrate that properties are built with no surface water connection to the public sewer, the surface water will need to drain to either a watercourse or an infiltration system. This will need to be via a private or adoptable sewer network, and not through an existing public sewer.

How do I apply?

• To apply for a discount on your sewerage infrastructure you must identify your request on your application for water services.
• Provide supporting evidence in the form of a drainage layout plan that confirms drainage connectivity of the properties affected by the application.

Please note, you may be audited to verify your application. Should we establish through audit that the drainage point for surface water does not comply with the qualifying criteria – surface water does drain to the existing the public sewer , we will notify you and reserve the right to charge the wholes site for full infrastructure charges.

United Utilities reserves the right to remove the water and or waste water scheme sustainability schemes should it decide to do so.