Water infrastructure must be prepared for a hotter future following continued pressure on Britian’s water networks during recent heatwaves, says the Copper Sustainability Partnership.
British utility companies, including Severn Trent and South East Water, have reported some of their highest ever levels of customer demand during 2026’s summer of prolonged periods of hot weather.
Now with the Met Office repeatedly saying that heatwaves are expected to increase in both frequency and intensity over the coming decades, CuSP are spotlighting the importance of a long-term approach to material selection in our water systems to cope with the increasingly challenging climate conditions.
Copper has been used successfully in plumbing and water infrastructure for generations and remains one of the most durable and resilient materials available. It offers exceptional thermal stability, durability and recyclability, making it a resilient choice in hotter temperatures.
However, in recent years, plastic pipework has become increasingly common choice for many councils and independent bodies due to its lower upfront installation cost.
To combat this, CuSP is making a call to action to the plumbing industry to ensure that infrastructure is future proofed, with plastic piping running the risk of thermal expansion, softening and deformation in hotter climates.
Oliver Lawton, Co-Founder of CuSP, said: “Too often, infrastructure decisions are driven by short-term considerations.
“With climate pressures increasing, asset owners and developers should be focusing on lifetime performance, resilience and environmental impact. The materials selected today will still be in service decades from now, when hotter summers may be the norm rather than the exception.”
CuSP’s rallying cry also comes shortly after the Environment Agency’s National Framework for Water Resources warning that public water supply could be short by 5 billion litres a day by 2055 without urgent action to futureproof resources.
Oliver continued: “As industries invest further in the infrastructure that is built to last, we believe copper should play a central role in delivering systems that are robust, sustainable and fit for a hotter Britain.
“Futureproofing our water infrastructure will require a combination of copper materials, smart water management and essential collaboration between the plumbing industry, trade associations and public sector bodies.”
Founded by Lawton Tubes and Mueller Europe (Wednesbury Tube), CuSP comprises of two competing copper tube manufacturers who have joined forces to promote the environmental benefits of copper and speak out against the plastic greenwash.
More information is available at www.cuspuk.com.
The Copper Sustainability Partnership (CuSP)
Born from the ambition to challenge the plastics greenwash within construction and plumbing, CuSP champions environmental thinking, insight sharing and collaboration across industries to encourage the use of copper as a more sustainable choice.
Founded by Lawton Tubes and Mueller Europe (Wednesbury Tube), the partnership comprises of two competing copper tube manufacturers who have joined forces to promote the environmental benefits of copper and speak out against the plastic greenwash. CuSP welcomes organisations and academia to join their cause, championing the use of copper in the built environment.
CuSP is using copper as the driving force to expose the inaccuracies commonly seen in the plastics greenwash and to stand up for green construction, building a greener, more sustainable future.