Project Discovery and the COCOA Schema

Project Discovery, a Market Improvement Fund Project, has developed the Commercial Consumption Analysis (COCOA) Schema: a first of its kind, classifying commercial properties based on expected water consumption practices, and benchmarking consumption.

The COCOA Schema is encapsulated in an Excel tool; by inputting a SIC code and floor area (in m2) of any non-household premise, the COCOA Excel tool will classify the property, estimate consumption with uncertainty bands, and suggest whether a premise is using an excessive amount of water. This gives the industry the opportunity to identify excessive consumption anywhere in the UK, using a desktop model.

While the tool is a ground-breaking step forward in deliver water savings in the commercial sector, it comes with some limitations and users are advised to consider its outputs as indicative, applying validations where possible. We need help from the wider industry, so are calling out to all stakeholders to try the model and provide feedback.

We are excited about the COCOA schema and believe it will be a radical opportunity to reduce consumption nationally, but we are also aware that it can be improved with your help.

The project has involved a range of stakeholders including lead sponsor Anglian Water, MOSL, several wholesalers and retailers, and was delivered by Artesia Consulting.

The COCOA tool is freely accessible, together with its documentation; to access it and download it, please visit https://wholesale.anglianwater.co.uk/siteassets/metering/project-discovery-update-feb-2024.pdf