This week marks an important milestone for Control Flow Technologies Group as we have reached our 1,000th installation of Control Flow devices across South Cambridgeshire District Council (SCDC) homes.
What began as an innovative pilot to tackle water scarcity is now becoming a large-scale, practical solution helping residents save water, reduce bills, and support the long-term sustainability of one of the UK’s fastest-growing regions. This project is a MHCLG funded programme.
And the journey is accelerating. Following the success of the South Cambridgeshire programme, the initiative has now expanded to include Cambridge City Council, significantly increasing the reach and impact of the project.
Why does this matter?
Because Cambridge faces one of the most significant water resource challenges in the UK.
Rapid population and business growth, ambitious housing targets, and the need to protect internationally important chalk streams are placing increasing pressure on available water supplies. While major infrastructure projects such as the proposed Fens Reservoir will play an important role in the future, large-scale supply schemes are unlikely to be operational until the 2030s. Demand reduction is now essential.
Working in partnership with local authorities, Cambridge Water and supported through MHCLG funding, Control Flow Technologies Group is helping deliver a practical solution today. Through water audits and the installation of flow optimisation technology across social housing stock, we’re helping residents reduce water consumption, lower energy use, and save money on household bills.
The programme has the potential to reach more than 7,900 social housing properties across Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire, delivering measurable and permanent reductions in household water demand while maintaining customer experience.
Impact to Date:
• 1000 properties retrofitted
• 2400 residents benefiting
• 1,000 South Cambridgeshire installations achieved
• 64,500 litres of water saved every day
• 600 tonnes of carbon emissions avoided annually (CO2e)
• £288,000 annual savings delivered to households
• 245 new homes offset through water neutrality savings
These outcomes support not only residents and local authorities, but also the wider growth ambitions of Greater Cambridge and the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor. Every litre saved within existing housing stock helps create the resilience needed to accommodate future homes, jobs, and investment while protecting the region’s natural environment.
The programme also aligns with wider regional water resource planning, complementing smart metering, leakage reduction and network optimisation initiatives. Importantly, the benefits of customer-side demand reduction are being independently assessed through Environment Agency analysis, highlighting the role retrofit programmes can play in supporting sustainable growth.
As we hit our 1,000-install milestone, we’re proud of what has been achieved through collaboration between local government, residents and delivery partners. But this is only the beginning.
Cambridge’s water challenge requires action today as well as investment for tomorrow. By delivering demand reduction at scale now, we can help bridge the gap until new strategic water supplies arrive, supporting both environmental resilience and sustainable growth for decades to come.
