Billions already struggle with water access for parts of the year, and climate variability is making supply more unpredictable—diminishing snow/ice storage and stressing aquifers and rivers. Source: UN-Water
2023 brought the driest year for global rivers in three decades, accelerating glacier loss and exposing just how vulnerable downstream users are. Source: AP News
In many utilities, 20–30% (or more) of treated water never reaches billing because of leaks and losses—so-called non-revenue water—wasting both water and energy. Tackling this is one of the fastest efficiency wins. Source: IWA Online
Policy tailwinds you can design for
Europe’s newly recast Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive tightens the net on stormwater overflows, urban runoff, and micropollutants, and sets a course for energy-neutral treatment plants by 2045. This elevates the role of source control—capturing, separating, and pre-treating flows before they hit the network.
Sources: European Commission – Environment +1
Where drainage saves water (and money)
Water saving isn’t only about low-flow taps. It’s about how we move, filter, and reuse stormwater—day in, day out.
High-capture surface drainage to cut nuisance flooding
Modern gully and linear grate geometries increase inflow from multiple directions, reducing surface ponding and the need for flushing operations later. Better hydraulics upstream mean fewer overflows downstream—exactly what new rules target. Reference: EUR-Lex
Polymer concrete channels for durability and tightness
Low water absorption and high compressive strength keep systems watertight and stable, limiting infiltration/exfiltration that can destabilize pavement bases and invite groundwater contamination—important as river baseflows shrink. Reference: UN-Water
Oil/fuel separators to protect reuse
Separators (manual or automatic) prevent hydrocarbons from entering drains—critical if sites plan to harvest runoff for non-potable uses (irrigation, washdown). Cleaner inflow eases treatment loads downstream and aligns with the EU’s push on pollutant removal. Reference: European Commission – Environment
Slot channels for dense urban edges
Edge drainage captures sheet flow at source, reducing overwhelmed inlets and combined sewer overflows during cloudbursts— again, aligned with the directive’s focus on stormwater management. Reference: EUR-Lex
Leak-smart networks to fight non-revenue water
Upgrading covers, frames, joints, and inspection points improves access for pressure management and leak detection—vital where NRW erodes 20–30% of supply in some systems. Every cubic meter saved is energy saved.
Reference: IWA Online
Beyond buildings: everyday fixtures still matter
Indoors, WaterSense-labeled toilets alone can cut toilet water use 20–60% (≈13,000 gallons per home annually), with meaningful bill savings; high-efficiency faucets trim another ~30% at the sink. These are proven, scalable wins that complement infrastructure upgrades outside.
Sources: US EPA WaterSense +2
A practical framework for projects
● Assess catchments, not just pipes. Model rainfall, inflow locations, and allowable discharge rates to right-size channels and grates. (Use hydraulic verification to document capacity and headloss.)
● Design for water quality at the inlet. Incorporate debris baskets, silt traps, and separators so harvested stormwater needs less treatment.
● Elevate maintainability. Hinged/locking covers and sensible access spacing reduce lifecycle leakage and cleaning water use.
● Plan for reuse. Route clean roof/runoff to storage for irrigation or washdown; specify materials compatible with non-potable reuse.
● Audit leakage and energy. Pair pressure management with asset upgrades to attack NRW; this instantly multiplies the value of every supply source.
Reference: IWA Online
The takeaway
Saving water is no longer a collection of small tips—it’s a systems job. Smarter drainage and access products protect quality at the source, keep networks stable in extremes, and make reuse practical. With policy momentum (EU wastewater recast) and clear efficiency gains (from WaterSense fixtures to NRW reduction), the projects that act now will reduce operating costs and future-proof their sites against tightening water risk.
References: EUR-Lex +2 | US EPA WaterSense +2
Related Mert Döküm Products
Explore products that align with these strategies:
> Polymer Concrete Channel
> Polymer Channel Series (V, M, U & Domestic)
> Linear Gratings (Category)
> Linear Gratings – Product Page
> Top Facing Gullies
> Oil Separators (Category)
> Grease / Oil Separator – Overview
> Metal Slot Drainage (A15–F900)
> Drainage System & Products (Overview)
> All Products
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