Building sustainable homes

To apply for the incentive, you must identify your request on your application for water services (for example, when you apply to us for a new water supply connection or new main).

On your application form, there will be a section titled ‘Water Environmental Incentive’, which will ask you if you want to claim the incentive payment.

As part of your application, you will need to provide a document detailing the make, model and product specification of each shower, bath, WC, basin tap and sink tap installed on the premises. If these arrangements will vary across different house types or plots within your development site, please clarify this within your submission.

Fittings must comply in all cases with Regulation 4 of the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999.

Please note:

We cannot accept retrospective claims for the environmental incentive payment if we have not received notification at the initial application stage.

We will assess whether your development qualifies for the environmental incentive scheme, based on the fixtures and fittings information that is submitted alongside your application.

If it does, we will award the incentive for each eligible plot within your quote.

If it doesn’t, we will explain why and provide guidance on how the application could be corrected to meet the Qualifying Criteria.

Please note:

We reserve the right to seek reimbursement of the environmental incentive for plots that are later found to have not complied with the qualifying criteria.

Once the water connections have been made, you will need to collate and submit the following evidence for a minimum of 10% of properties (or one if fewer than ten properties are being connected) being claimed for:

• a photo of each shower, bath, WC, basin tap and sink tap installed on the premises.
• if any washing machines or dishwashers have been installed, a photo of the label for each unit clearly showing the make and model

Please note:

This evidence must be submitted within 3 months from the date that the connections are completed. If you fail to provide it, then we will seek reimbursement of the environmental incentive that had previously been awarded to you.

If the evidence supplied to us suggests that the qualifying criteria has been complied with, then we will write to you to confirm.

Alternatively, if we have reason to believe that the qualifying criteria was not met, then we will notify you of the reason why. We will work with you to resolve the issue, however, if it cannot be demonstrated that the premises complied, then we may seek reimbursement of the environmental incentive.

We reserve the right to carry out a site audit, whereby we would utilise appropriate inspection methods and/or network data to verify that the premises complies with the qualifying criteria.

If your site is selected for audit, then we will contact you to discuss this in detail and to make the necessary arrangements.

If the premises fails the audit, then we will seek reimbursement of the environmental incentive.

Where a developer fails two audits in a 12-month period, they will not be eligible to apply for the environmental incentives scheme on any future developments for a period of 6 months from the last failed audit.

To apply for the incentive, you must identify your request on your application for water services (for example, when you apply to us for a new water supply connection or new main).

On your application form, there will be a section titled ‘Sewerage Environmental Incentive’, which will ask you for information on the drainage arrangements at your development.

As part of your application, you will need to provide a drainage layout drawing that shows where the foul flows will be connected and how surface water flows from each property will be managed. If these arrangements will vary across different house types or plots within your development site, please clarify this within your submission.

Please note:

We cannot accept retrospective claims for the environmental incentive payment if we have not received notification at the initial application stage.

We will assess whether your development qualifies for the environmental incentive scheme, based on the drainage layout information that is submitted alongside your application.

If it does, we will award the incentive for each eligible plot within your quote.

If it doesn’t, we will explain why and provide guidance on how the application could be corrected to meet the Qualifying Criteria.

Please note:

We reserve the right to seek reimbursement of the environmental incentive for plots that are later found to have not complied with the qualifying criteria.

Once you have installed the surface water (rainwater) solution for the premises, you will need to collate and submit the following evidence for the premises being claimed for:

• Confirmation from Building Control (or a Private Inspector acting in same capacity) that surface water has been managed in accordance with the agreed drainage strategy

Please note:

This evidence must be submitted within 3 months from the date that the surface water solution has been installed. If you fail to provide it, then we will seek reimbursement of the environmental incentive that had previously been awarded to you.

If the evidence supplied to us suggests that the qualifying criteria has been complied with, then we will write to you to confirm.

Alternatively, if we have reason to believe that the qualifying criteria was not met, then we will notify you of the reason why. We will work with you to resolve the issue, however, if it cannot be demonstrated that the premises complied, then we may seek reimbursement of the environmental incentive.

We reserve the right to carry out a site audit, whereby we would utilise appropriate inspection methods and/or network data to verify that the premises complies with the qualifying criteria.

If your site is selected for audit, then we will contact you to discuss this in detail and to make the necessary arrangements.

If the premises fails the audit, then we will seek reimbursement of the environmental incentive.

Where a developer fails two audits in a 12-month period, they will not be eligible to apply for the environmental incentives scheme on any future developments for a period of 6 months from the last failed audit.