Are customers ready to ditch the full flush? Recent tests by Affinity Water and Scottish Water seem to think so.
Toilet flushing accounts for a huge volume of clean water usage in the UK, with an average volume of 7.5 litres used every time – potentially equating to over 50 litres per person per day.
Irish innovation Wizso could save “hundreds of thousands of litres of water every year” if scaled up, according to company director Arthur O’Brien.
The product comes in the form of a simple pellet-shaped odour neutraliser dropped into the toilet bowl after urination.
The pellets are made from non-toxic substances which change toilet water to blue and eliminate odours, giving users the confidence not to flush.
First customer trial
The first customer trial was carried out with Affinity Water in September as part of their water neutrality project supported by Ofwat and a marketing agency specialising in behavioural change.
The selected site was Bidwell West, a new 908-home development in Bedfordshire, where the water supply is operated by Independent Water Networks as a NAV – new appointments and variations – site.
Affinity Water’s Bidwell Water Savers campaign focused on the impact of a behaviour change only campaign, with no technological interventions.
Around 1,600 households opted to take part and those involving Wizso yielded “impressive results”, according to Affinity, which introduced the product to a controlled number of participants during doorstep conversations about the campaign.
Water-saving potential
Affinity’s final report – Creating a water-neutral development using behaviour change and off-setting – included an initial assessment of the impact and feasibility of various water-saving actions, carried out prior to the trial.
Modelling identified Wizso as having the highest potential for water-saving, based on considerations like expected volumes saved and customer-readiness to adopt. This was assessed as over a third more than using half-flush toilet buttons, and nearly three times as much as turning the tap off when brushing teeth.
Trial results showed that participants who took part in the doorstep conversation, a water-saving pledge and tried Wizso, saved an average of 51.1 litres of water daily.
In comparison, those who took a pledge saved 32.9 litres per day, while households who received information only saved 17 litres per day.
Positive results
Lina Nieto, Affinity Water’s water neutrality manager, said, “Bidwell Water Savers was a trial to test the impact of a behavioural change campaign on water usage in Bidwell West.
“The results have been very positive, and we were delighted to offer Wizso to participants who pledged to reduce their water usage.”
According to Affinity Water, nearly 60% of participants who trialled the product were “intrigued by its innovative potential”, while 72% are likely to use again or recommend it to others.
Water-saving behaviour-change specialist Weir the Agency provided strategic support, with a spokeswoman saying: “People were pleased they didn’t have to flush and use chemical cleaners as often.”
Workplace use
Scottish Water has also undertaken a workplace trial, deploying Wizso and Aguardio flush sensors in four toilets for 30 staff at their Inverness office.
Over four weeks, data was gathered to establish a baseline, then Wizso was deployed for another four weeks to determine whether it could help cut water use. The outcome was an average 27% reduction in flushes over four weeks, representing a possible annual water-saving of some 2,300 litres.
