The Future Homes Hub has announced the establishment of a new cross-sector Water Smart Growth Board (WSGB), representing a significant step forward for the flood and drainage industry. By building on the foundations of Ofwat’s Enabling Water Smart Communities project, the Board aims to integrate water management directly into the delivery of sustainable housing across England. This collaborative body brings together senior leaders from the water industry, government, and the housing sector to ensure that new developments are "water smart" - resilient, efficient, and future-proofed against the dual pressures of climate change and population growth.
A central pillar of the WSGB’s mission is the standardisation and successful delivery of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS). As part of its immediate remit, a specialist Implementation Group has been tasked with securing the effective rollout of new SuDS standards. This work will focus specifically on the SuDS hierarchy. The Board will also play a critical role in informing long-term maintenance strategies for these systems, addressing one of the most persistent hurdles currently facing drainage practitioners and local authorities.
A central pillar of the WSGB’s mission is the standardisation and successful delivery of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS).
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Beyond drainage, the Board is linked to the Government’s Water Delivery Taskforce and will oversee a national roadmap for integrated water management. This includes creating a Community of Practice to share feedback on implementation challenges and removing policy barriers that currently hinder sustainable growth. By aligning drainage strategy with wider water reuse and efficiency goals - such as the implementation of changes to Part G of the building regulations - the WSGB seeks to unlock housing delivery in water-constrained areas while protecting vital resources.
The specialist groups will also investigate the practical steps required to incorporate both potable and non-potable water reuse within new developments. For the flood industry, this joined-up approach means that SuDS are no longer viewed in isolation but as part of a holistic infrastructure that manages waste-water, reduces surface water run-off, and supports the water smart communities of the future. As Thakeham CEO Rob Boughton noted, this forum provides the practical delivery mechanism needed to ensure that developers and the water sector meet their shared responsibility to protect the environment while meeting national housing targets.
[Main image credit: Jun Huang / shutterstock.com]