Water reuse system in Cambridgeshire remains inactive due to regulations

The United Kingdom’s largest water reuse system, located at the Eddington urban quarter in Cambridgeshire, remains inactive due to current drinking water regulations. Although the system was completed in 2021, the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) has prevented it from being switched on, citing legal non-compliance.

If operational, the system could allow thousands of residents to save approximately 25 litres of water per person per day by using recycled rainwater for non-drinking purposes. This capability is increasingly critical as water supplies in England face shortages, leading companies like Cambridge Water and Anglian Water to impose hosepipe bans during droughts.

Lutz Johnen, chair of the UK Water Reuse Association, has called for urgent legislative changes to allow such systems to be implemented at scale. Experts warn that current regulatory blocks are hindering efforts to address projected extreme water shortages expected by 2055.