Daniel J SaitFor years, the smart home industry has focused on making homes more intelligent through lighting, heating, security, entertainment and, more recently, energy management. Solar panels, battery storage, EV charging and heat pumps have all become part of the conversation, with automation potentially helping homeowners reduce both running costs and environmental impact. But are we overlooking another utility that deserves a place on the dashboard? Water.
After another spell of exceptionally hot, dry weather across much of the UK, concerns over water shortages, hosepipe bans and rising utility costs are once again making headlines. It raises an interesting question for our sector: should automation be paying more attention to water management?
Greywater recycling and closed-loop water systems are certainly nothing new. The technology already exists, and systems are available in the UK that can collect water from showers and baths, filter and treat it, then reuse it for toilet flushing, irrigation and other non-potable applications. Companies such as Stormsaver, Indratec and several rainwater harvesting specialists offer residential systems ranging from individual homes to large apartment developments. These systems are designed around current British Standards, including BS EN 16941 and BS 8525.
Some of these systems already contain sophisticated controls, monitoring and automated maintenance routines. Yet they remain less visible from the conversations taking place within our industry, aside from leak detection and alert systems and some intelligent control of sprinkler systems.
Perhaps that’s because they’ve traditionally been viewed as plumbing products rather than smart home technology, which of course they are, but will that distinction become outdated?
As installers increasingly position themselves as whole-home technology specialists, rather than simply AV or networking experts, water feels like a natural extension of the connected home. Imagine a homeowner opening their control app to see not only energy generation and battery status, but also daily water consumption, recycled water available, savings achieved and alerts for leaks or maintenance. Combined with weather forecasting, irrigation control, occupancy sensing and AI-driven automation, intelligent water management suddenly becomes much more than a storage tank hidden in the plant room.
Early days
We’re certainly not suggesting every installation should suddenly include a greywater recycling system. Retrofitting can be complex, regulations need to be understood, and the financial case won’t stack up for every property. But as the technology evolves and becomes better understood, it’s an area that could prove fruitful in the UK, and for those installers who operate overseas too.
As a sector, we have often been at our best when we identify emerging trends before they become everyday expectations. Sustainability is already influencing purchasing decisions, particularly at the premium end of the residential market. If clients increasingly expect their homes to be more efficient, more resilient and more environmentally responsible, should intelligent water management be part of that conversation too? Especially if the home has extensive gardens and grounds that could benefit from intelligent water gathering, control and delivery systems.
Starting a smart home conversation
We want to hear from installers, manufacturers and consultants on this one. Are you already specifying or integrating greywater recycling systems? Have clients begun asking about them? Is there potential for closer integration with automation platforms, or are there barriers we’re overlooking? Will specialists emerge to help knit these systems together, as they have in the HVAC sector?
So let’s start a conversation about how, and if, we can prepare for the potential smart home future here. As our industry continues to redefine what the intelligent home can achieve, perhaps it’s time to ask whether water should become the next utility we learn to manage just as intelligently as energy.
