Hans-Jürgen Kalmbach, Hansgrohe CEO, Water Europe Board Member
The European Environmental Agency’s latest report reveals a sobering statistic: 30% of the EU population is already affected by water scarcity. This confirms a worrying trend visible across the continent—from the salination of groundwater in Spain and the drying up of lakes in Italy to French villages where taps run dry. In Germany, water scarcity has also become an issue: as the Rhine reached record low levels in 2022. This situation is expected to worsen in the future. Climate change will further increase the strain on water resources by disrupting water supply[1] and simultaneously increasing water demand from sectors that are essential for our green transition, such as agriculture, energy production, batteries, semiconductors and data centres.
Fostering water efficiency in buildings
Faced with diminishing water resources, the need to use water more efficiently has never been clearer. And where better to start than in our own homes? Households and services account for 13% of Europe’s total water consumption, presenting a significant opportunity for savings. By adopting water-efficient solutions, we can not only use water more wisely but also reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions—without compromising comfort. It starts with water efficient taps and showers, toilets and urinals or technologies which directly reduce hot water consumption. Hansgrohe has set its goal: By 2030, we will have converted the entire water-using product portfolio of AXOR and hansgrohe to use water or energy-saving technologies by 2030.
Unlocking the potential of water reuse
There are untapped opportunities for further improvements, particularly in water reuse. We need to reconsider whether drinking water quality is necessary for all household uses, such as flushing toilets or perhaps even showering. Differentiating water types based on their intended purpose would enable us to reuse and recycle water in our homes while maintaining performance and customer satisfaction. Ultimately, this is how we make our homes truly water-efficient.
The EU Water Resilience Strategy: Turning Potential into Action
Despite the availability of advanced technologies, significant obstacles remain to fully exploit their potential. Water efficiency in buildings must become the core pillar of Europe’s new water policy. We therefore call on EU policy-makers to incentivize the market uptake of existing technologies and remove regulatory barriers to further innovation in the upcoming Water Resilience Strategy.
[1] IPCC Sixth Assessment Report Chapter 4.1: Water | Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability (ipcc.ch) (4.1)- IPCC