Leaky loos decision delayed

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has deferred the publication of its decision on water fittings for toilet cisterns to the summer.

The missed deadline follows a consultation on updating toilet specifications to stop cistern water from re-entering drinking water in properties and to understand the causes of leaking toilet valves.

This is the second deadline relating to water efficiency Defra has missed this year after failing to publish legally binding targets to reduce consumption by the end of October. These were published six weeks late despite the majority of the country experiencing drought conditions during the summer and the first hosepipe ban being imposed in a decade.

Around 8% of homes are understood to have a leaky loo caused by improperly connected valves or dual flush buttons, which waste between 215 and 400 litres of water daily.

Defra was due to publish its feedback on the consultation this year, ahead of regulator specifications and test code sheets to save millions of water each day. It said this is now expected in summer 2023.

The Bathroom Manufacturers Association’s chief executive Tom Reynolds said: “While we are disappointed that the findings from the recent consultation on water fittings won’t be released until the summer of 2023, we appreciate the complexities of the outcomes when dealing with large bodies such as the WTO and EU.”

He said the BMA has been “intricately involved” in the consultation on proposed amendments to the WC Suite Performance Specification, the Specification on the Prevention of Backflow and associated specifications.

“Our members’ expertise on these matters, we hope, will shape future regulations,” he added.

Anglian estimated leaky loos cost the company £49 million each year in wasted resources; while Thames calculated from smart meter data that one in 20 homes had a leaking toilet.