WATER SYSTEM MANAGEMENT
when using the reduced flush. However, if you do opt for a dual-flush, make sure that it is clear to users how to operate the small flush, as research has shown that consumers are confused by many dual-flush button designs.2
Don’t forget
either to check for leaky toilets, and get these fixed as quickly as possible. Waterwise reports that ‘between 5-8% of toilets leak, losing around 400 million litres a day across the UK. A single leaking toilet typically wastes 200-400 litres of water per day, which could be costing the customer around £200 a year’.1 Urinals also provide another great opportunity to save water. According to Thames Water, an uncontrolled urinal could be losing approximately 1,800 litres a day.1
So, ensure that all urinals have a
controlled flush, and are not programmed to automatically flush when not in use. It is easy to see that in a small restroom housing five WCs and washhand basins, these savings soon build up, while across larger buildings or a healthcare estate they can be very substantial.
Better regulations for new build Alongside the economic factors, building regulators are prioritising reducing environmental impacts. Some parts of the UK have already seen changes to Building Regulations and Approved Documents. There is a move to promote an individual water fittings approach, where there are maximum flow rates or volumes for each fitting, rather than setting limitations on a ‘basket’ of fittings using the water calculator approach. Wales has already published updates to its requirements, and in England Defra (the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs) and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities (DLUHC) are considering a similar approach. In Wales, in an attempt to improve water efficiency in new buildings, handbasins in such buildings can be limited to 5 litres per minute, with dual-flush WC options of 4/2.6 litre or 4.5/3 litres (full/reduced flushes).
Choosing water-efficient products and appliances Manufacturers are continuously improving their designs to reduce water consumption without compromising performance. Defra is planning to introduce a mandatory water
‘‘
The active element automatically reduces the water path opening according to the pressure within the system.
Correctly designed pipe size Pipe
Active element adapting to pressure
Fixed element
Low pressure
High pressure
Grey no flow zone
Slower flows
Core of rapid flow
Poorly designed oversized pipe
The effect of poorly sized pipes.
label, which will give consumers better information on exactly how much water every product is designed to use. In the meantime, buyers should look out for the Unified Water Label (see page 23) to obtain information about water use – see
www.uwla.eu.
Demand reduction devices What do we mean when we talk about water saving and demand reduction devices? In fact these come in many
Pressure reduction or limiting devices typically use a spring to reduce the pressure, and will come either fixed at a particular pressure, or be adjustable to suit the conditions. Flow may also be lower because of reducing the pressure – but is not the devices’ primary function
24 Health Estate Journal March 2023
forms. Pressure reduction or limiting devices typically use a spring to reduce the pressure, and will come either fixed at a particular pressure, or be adjustable to suit the conditions. Flow may also be lower because of reducing the pressure – but is not the devices’ primary function. These devices are plumbed in line, and usually fitted to mains-fed systems, or on equipment for safe operation, such as pressurised hot water cylinders. Flow restrictors simply reduce the
effective bore of a pipe, thereby slowing the flow. These devices can either be a simple hole in a disc, or a short fitting which has narrower section through it. The degree of flow reduction can vary depending on pressure, as flow restrictors do not actively adjust for it, and so will be less precise about the flow rate delivery. Flow regulators are similar to flow
restrictors, in that they too utilise small holes to reduce the flow. However, they have an additional active element which
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