Importance of water-saving plumbing increases

Innovative crane systems for safety and sustainability

Today, sustainability is an integral part of our society. Especially in public spaces, attention should be paid to sustainable solutions. Such as in the area of sanitary facilities, also in hotels and restaurants. 

In public places, people behave differently than at home and therefore treat sanitation facilities differently. This can have a pernicious effect on water consumption and the state in which facilities are left. Moreover, since the corona pandemic, more attention has been paid to hand hygiene. So the use of sanitary facilities is only increasing. This is precisely why it is very important for building owners to respond to this and offer the right solutions in terms of sustainable and water-saving sanitary facilities. This also applies to hotels and restaurants.

In public buildings, much more water is consumed during a bathroom visit: per person, consumption is 50 per cent higher than measured water consumption at home. The user is only a passer-by there and does not have to pay the final bill, which usually leads to indifferent behaviour towards water wastage. Moreover, sanitary facilities in public areas are intensively used, so consumption is significantly higher anyway.

Hotel owners are also aware of this issue and therefore look for sustainable solutions. Delabie, the European leader in taps and sanitary ware for public areas, has been offering products that are responsible, sustainable and stylish for more than 90 years. Besides a limited flow rate, Delabie's self-closing mechanical and electronic basin taps also feature "intermittent" use and guaranteed automatic self-closing. The limited flow rate of 3 l/min already saves a lot of water, but just reducing the flow rate is not enough to ensure sustainable consumption. 

Delabie therefore developed an innovative system with automatic self-closing: during hand soaping, the water flow is automatically interrupted to prevent water wastage. Because it is precisely at this moment that 60 per cent of water waste occurs. Rinsing the hands is then possible in just 7 seconds, after which the tap closes automatically. Interrupting the water jet also reduces user negligence. Moreover, by using taps with this innovative system with automatic self-closing, hotel owners also achieve the best results for labels such as LEED and BREEAM.

The limited flow rate of 3 l/min for basin taps is among the lowest in the world. Yet this is not the only factor contributing to reduced water consumption. Plumbing in public areas is heavily used, which not only poses risks such as the user not closing a tap, but also possible leaks. These can be prevented with the right sanitary installations that can withstand vandalism and intensive use. 

Vandalism is almost always encountered in public spaces, intentional or not. Even theft is a common phenomenon in high-traffic locations. To withstand any kind of vandalism, Delabie products are made of very sturdy materials such as stainless steel, brass or reinforced fabrics with fibreglass. Delabie products in general have a sleek design, with no grip, which can prevent them from being pulled off. Certain tap models are also equipped with anti-blocking safety devices to prevent water wastage and misuse. Furthermore, taps with installation built into the wall or in a technical room can offer a solution: the mechanism and fittings are inaccessible to the user. In this way, any damage or water wastage is avoided.■