Water conservation in the washroom [BLOG]

Water conservation in the washroom [BLOG]

A blog written by Franke Sissons.

Water resources are becoming scarcer, therefore it is important to consider options on how to lower the amount of water used in everyday life. In today's commercial buildings the desire to design green systems has never been higher. It is a designers, architects or engineers goal not only to provide a practical design but also to keep usage to a minimum and energy efficiency to a maximum.

Many commercial buildings such as schools, hospitals, offices and hotel buildings require considerable water volume for their systems including food services, toilets, washing facilities and irrigation systems. With the increasing desire to design green systems and ecological buildings, it is crucial to determine the applications which have the greatest water consumption in order to prioritise and design a water saving solution.

With the average person in the UK consuming 140 litres of water per day, we now have a social responsibility to make sure we are making every effort to preserve such a precious resource. Water consumption has increased by 1% every year since the 1930s and it is predicted that by 2050 there will be a 40% shortage of water for people living in the UK. Globally, water scarcity affects 4 out of every 10 people across every continent. Making small changes such as replacing a leaky tap or purchasing a more efficient tap that uses less than five litres per minute will be as friendly to your wallet as it will to the environment.

Water saving products
With a huge focus on energy optimisation of building operations and efficiency, the demand for water management systems has increased. The government have introduced a 25-year environment plan which outlines initiatives to help to conserve water. The industry has already taken the lead towards achieving this through the use of The Water Label. The Water Label has driven the reduction in water and energy use from water using bathroom products since 2007.

Green systems have become an important design feature when designing and specifying energy efficient buildings. With or without the need to achieve LEED points, water conservation can be incorporated into nearly any new or refurbished building. Common water saving products include waterfree urinals, self-closing taps and sophisticated flushing systems, by using more of these types of products we can ensure that we are using water efficiently. Franke Water Systems have designed an AQUA 3000 open water management system which establishes a balance between ecology and economy, between hygiene and consumption and between planning and operation.

Franke F5 taps
Franke has designed a new range of taps which are both cost effective and save water. The opto-electronically controlled F5 taps are ideal for high usage washrooms and provide enhanced water management features. To prevent water wastage the F5 sensor taps have an auto shut off function. The shutdown time is adjustable via an optional remote control which allows you to set parameters to save water usage The Franke F5S self-closing taps are manufactured with the Franke Modular Innovation Cartridge (FRAMIC). Water hygiene is maintained through the integrated water hygiene flush functionality which ensures clean safe water is provided.The Patented FRAMIC cartridge is the first in the world of its kind and ensures stagnation-free, hydraulic control of the water flow and sets the highest hygiene standards.

Water saving example
Water conservation can help save the environment and money. For example, in an office of 200 people, we have found that you could save around £7,020 per year just by swapping the taps you have in the washroom from manual to electronic or self-closing.

Self-closing and electronic taps can cost around £1,000 per year, whereas manual taps could cost over £8,000 per year. Replacing old taps with more efficient taps could save over 2.3 million litres per year. This is enough to fill an Olympic size swimming pool.

In a home environment, a severe leaky tap could waste thousands of litres of water a year and could cost up to £60.00 per year. Doesn’t sound a lot? Well, this would Waste at least 20,000 litres of water a year; that's enough water to fill a paddling pool 44 times! So purchasing a different type of tap could help you save.

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