Ways of saving water in office toilets
The price of drinking water has gone up by 350% since 1988, making now the time to act
Water and energy to heat water can drive up the cost of operating office sanitary facilities significantly. In view of rising prices for drinking water, the sanitary sector has brought useful innovations to market which are now standard in modern buildings.
There are simple ways to conserve precious drinking water. Here are some of the most common measures for commercial buildings:
- WC cisterns with economy flush
- Waterless urinals
- Water-saving dishwashers
- Single lever mixer taps with proximity sensor
- Hot mains water in kitchens only
- How does it work? A special coating of antibacterial material causes fluid to drip off the surface so that it heads straight into the siphon ("lotus effect"). The main feature of a waterless urinal is a barrier liquid in the U-bend which is less dense than urine and therefore forms a seal to prevent odours.
Flushing remains one of the biggest opportunities to save water. Whereas old-style cisterns release 9 to 14 litres of water each time they are flushed, water-saving cisterns with an economy or stop button usually make do with six.
Modern single lever mixer taps with sensors also consume less than half the amount of water compared to conventional one-hand mixer taps, which use 13 litres per minute. Sensor technology delivers even greater savings because the water is turned off as soon as the hands are moved from under the tap. In addition, energy consumption can be reduced by means of a temperature limiter.
