UK water resources are undoubtedly under pressure from climate change, population growth and rising water use. It has been suggested that if water efficiency action is not improved we could face water shortages by 2050 (in fact, this is already a reality in some parts of the country) – serving as a reminder for us all to use water more wisely.

Many educational establishments are already considering how they can effectively conserve more water. Research from Waterwise suggests that across England’s 24,000-school estate, there could be up to 74,400,000 litres of unnecessary water use every day. Water wastage also has a negative financial impact. Schools in the UK currently spend around £70 million a year on water – this could be greatly reduced by implementing water efficiency measures, allowing precious budget to be reallocated.

 ‘Leaky loos’ are a major culprit for water wastage. According to Waterwise, between five and eight per cent of UK toilets are leaking. On average, each leaking toilet could be wasting between 215 and 400 litres of clean, fresh water per day. As well as having a detrimental impact on precious water resources, every ‘leaky loo’ could cost a school up to £100 per year.

Dual flush toilets tend to leak because of an issue with the flush valve. Dual flush toilets usually have a drop flush valve, which will generally start to leak because the flush seal naturally degrades over time. The seal tends to be situated below the cistern’s water line, and limescale deposits and debris (commonly found in cistern water) can cause degradation, as can chemicals if they are also present in the water.

Cistermiser’s Easyflush^EVO is a revolutionary siphonic flushing valve engineered to eradicate water leakage from dual flush toilets. Unlike drop valves, there is no flush seal below the water line, so it will not leak due to debris, scale or degradation of the seal. Easyflush^EVO is ideal for new applications or can be easily retrofitted, in either a dual flush or single flush configuration. Each unit can save up to 146,000 litres of water per year and a return on investment can be achieved in just seven months.

Toilet and changing room refurbishment programmes present schools with an ideal opportunity to identify and rectify leaks, but we’d recommend continual monitoring as best practice. Unfortunately, it is not easy to detect leaks, and they can be present for some time before they are identified. Leak strips or dry toilet paper can be placed against the back of the pan – if they become wet, there is a leak.

Easyflush^EVO’s unique patented design means no other solution on the market can address water wastage from leaking toilets in the same way. It also has WRAS and Kiwa UK Regulation 4 product approvals, has won multiple industry awards and is installed in some prestigious projects across the UK.

For more information on Easyflush^EVO, please visit www.cistermiser.co.uk.