22 March is International Water Day and this year's theme is 'the value of water': how important is water for domestic and family life, well-being, the environment? The events of this past year have shown us, among other things, that we are all interconnected and that local choices have an effect on the rest of the world. This awareness makes us reflect, on this occasion, on the importance of implementing effective eco-friendly policies and taking the necessary precautions to protect and conserve water.
The recovery phase should focus on the green economy, the concept of which allows for economic growth and an increase in environmental quality, making processes more efficient, reducing waste and thus also reducing costs for companies and households. We see positive signs in this direction, not least the proposed Water Bonus in Italy or the environmental protection policies of the European community, but there is still much to be done... and at Idral we want to help protect this indispensable resource.
Water saving in spaces open to the public
In spaces open to the public, where water consumption can be up to 50% higher than at home, it is important to understand the impact of eco-friendly measures for resuming activities. In these environments water consumption can be as high as 200 litres per person per day and in some specific cases such as hospitals, swimming pools, sports centres, etc. it can even exceed 500 litres per person per day. In these environments, users' behaviour is different from at home in that wastage does not harm them. To this we must add that the cost of water is increasing due to rising consumption and rising distribution costs, becoming a critical issue for the management of commercial and public facilities.
To understand the impact this represents for a large space, let us compare consumption between a traditional tap, an electronic tap and a timed tap:
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Fortunately, advances in faucet and sanitary design mean that the amount of water used can be significantly reduced compared to the past. The use of modern technologies such as solenoid valves, timed taps, low-consumption drains or flow reducers can mean a huge reduction in the environmental impact of a building, as well as a reduction in water costs.
Measures to reduce water waste in public toilets
It is clear, therefore, that in large spaces open to the public, where the frequency of use of toilets is particularly high, it is necessary to take the appropriate measures to increase energy savings, replacing obsolete products with low-consumption solutions, which in the medium term represent water and cost savings that benefit the environment, users and infrastructure managers. Here are some alternatives to traditional products
- Electronic taps: while traditional basin taps consume 12 litres per minute, Idral's sensor taps consume 6 litres or less and the solenoid valve is automatically closed, reducing waste and preventing possible user negligence. In addition, infrared sensors require very little energy to operate.
- Timed taps: many of Idral's taps have a flow rate of 6 litres per minute and there are products, such as the stainless steel series, that have even lower consumption (5 litres per minute). Furthermore, the flow rate can be adjusted in the factory according to specific needs. The mixer or faucet turns off automatically after about 16 seconds of flow. The anti-vandal system is activated to prevent the mixer or faucet from continuously flowing.
- Low-flush toiletsand urinals: Replacing older toilets with low-flush systems (with a maximum flush volume of 6 litres) is very effective in reducing waste and costs. Some of our newer toilets, such as high-efficiency models, use only 5 litres of water. In addition, facilities open to the public can achieve further savings by installing efficient urinals with electronic control. Replacing toilets and urinals results in a 20% reduction in water consumption per flush.
- Timed Shower Panels and Solar Showers: for sports centres and gyms, Idral's shower panels with timed control are an excellent solution to keep water consumption under control, as they are equipped with a timed stop after 15 sec. at 3 bar (reducible) and 8 l/min flow rate limiter. For swimming pools and open-air parks, Idral's solar showers are an ideal solution, because in addition to being equipped with timed controls, they have a solar water heating system, obtaining hot water without any energy consumption.
The future of water saving and safety lies in digitisation
Technology can help a lot in reducing waste, in fact digitisation in a public toilet can help users, facility managers and maintenance staff. Digitisation is a key component to generate large amounts of valuable data (big data), for decision support and to improve efficiency, with a positive impact on water quality, quantity and safety. In particular through the development and implementation of intelligent equipment and sensors, capable of generating advanced data analysis.
At Idral we are working on new digital solutions that not only reduce water waste, but also make water safer, addressing needs such as reducing the risk of exposure to legionella and cross-contamination in general.
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