The next frontier of sustainability in housing is not just about energy, it is about water. As climate risks intensify and urban populations surge, the question is no longer whether we should conserve water, but how we can fundamentally reimagine our relationship with it. In that context, the concept of “water positive homes” is not just timely but essential. These are homes that replenish more water than they consume, acting as stewards of the local water cycle and contributors to broader water security.
India’s water challenge is a microcosm of a global crisis. With only 4% of the world’s freshwater resources supporting over 1.4 billion people, we are acutely aware of the urgency. Per capita water availability has dropped from 1816 cubic metres in 2001 to just under 1500 in 2021, a figure set to decline further. Add to this an aging water infrastructure, unregulated groundwater extraction, and rising urban demands, and the case for a water positive housing model becomes undeniable.
Rethinking Water Through the Lens of Design
To transition from water neutral to water positive homes, we must embrace circularity in water use. This means more than low-flow fixtures or dual piping. It means embedding water stewardship in the very fabric of building design, construction, and operation.
Techniques like rainwater harvesting, greywater reuse, and permeable paving should become standard rather than aspirational. Smart meters and leak detection systems can further optimise consumption and prevent loss. Landscape design must prioritise native vegetation and green blue infrastructure that supports groundwater recharge.
Global green building certification systems such as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), administered by GBCI, have long recognised water as a critical resource. LEED’s Indoor and Outdoor Water Use Reduction credits, along with performance-based monitoring in LEED v4.1 and now LEED v5, enable measurable outcomes for water efficiency.
The recently launched LEED v5 represents the most comprehensive update yet, developed through the input of thousands of green building professionals. It places stronger emphasis on decarbonization, human and ecological health, and resilience. With water efficiency as a core element, LEED v5 empowers project teams to embed low-impact, high-performance water systems into every stage of the building lifecycle. Enhanced digital tools, operational carbon projections, and integrated climate resilience assessments further reinforce LEED v5 as a key enabler of water-smart, climate-ready homes.
We are also seeing promising alignment with frameworks like the Water Positive Index by GRIHA, which sets benchmarks for projects to not just conserve but contribute water back to the ecosystem. A water positive index score of 1.5 and above classifies a project as “super water positive,” reflecting a tangible, auditable impact.
Homes as Nodes of Water Security
What makes homes water positive is not just infrastructure, it is intent. And intent must be backed by action, regulation, and market transformation.
The Jal Shakti Abhiyan, with its focus on conservation, afforestation, and groundwater recharge, sets the tone for policy-backed community action. Complementing this, platforms like GBCI and the World Green Building Council offer frameworks for developers to integrate water stewardship from the design stage.
Examples abound. For instance, Vedanta’s operations across sites such as Hindustan Zinc and Cairn Oil & Gas have achieved water-positive status by recycling over 85 million cubic metres of water using advanced zero liquid discharge systems. These industrial best practices are complemented by on-ground, community-level efforts. In Barmer, Rajasthan, Vedanta introduced decentralised water systems such as Water ATMs and rejuvenated traditional Baap Naadis, bringing ‘meetha paani’ closer to the doorstep of rural households. This intervention not only improved access to clean drinking water but also uplifted the socio-economic conditions of women and families who previously walked miles to fetch water. Water positivity, therefore, is not just an environmental benchmark, it is a transformative human development story.
Circularity and the Built Environment
The built environment accounts for 15% of global freshwater use, and adopting a Circular Water Economy (CWE) is critical. The CWE model redefines water not as a one-time utility but a renewable loop. It introduces design principles where water is captured, treated, reused, and returned safely to the environment.
According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s ReSOLVE framework, circularity in water can be integrated across various scales of the built environment, from individual buildings to entire cities. The ReSOLVE framework outlines six key strategies to foster a circular economy: Regenerate, Share, Optimise, Loop, Virtualise, and Exchange. Rainwater harvesting, greywater recycling, nutrient recovery, and shared water infrastructure are all practical, scalable solutions. Technologies such as AI-driven water monitoring, modular reuse systems, and integrated city-level water management plans can further this transformation.
From London’s Olympic Park to Shanghai’s sponge city design, global case studies reinforce the feasibility of embedding water circularity in urban planning. In India, policy is beginning to catch up with ambition, with stricter ESG mandates and sustainability certifications rewarding water positive performance.
A Call to Action
The time to act is now. Every new home that is built without water-conscious design is a missed opportunity and a long-term liability. The built environment must shift from being a part of the water crisis to becoming a cornerstone of the solution.
A water positive home is not a luxury, it is the new baseline. It is a space where design meets responsibility, where residents are not just consumers but custodians, and where the blueprint includes not just comfort but climate resilience.
As we step into the next decade of sustainability, let our homes lead the way, not just in living better, but in giving back. Because the future is not just net zero. It is water positive.
