Apr 18 2007
British sanitaryware manufacturer Twyford Bathrooms (part of the Sanitec
group) has been awarded the prestigious Waterwise Marque for the Galerie Eco-Flush, a new dual flush that operates on a very low 4/2 litres of water, as opposed to current UK legislation that requires 6/4 litres for flushing.
The Waterwise Marque – the first scheme in the UK to highlight water efficient products – is awarded annually to products which reduce water wastage or raise the awareness of water efficiency. Only 15 Marques have been awarded this year.
Committed to improving the environment, Twyford Bathrooms says it has refused to accept that 6 or 6/4 litres of water per flush is an acceptable minimum use of water, as stipulated by the current water regulations. The new Galerie Eco-Flush goes one step further and flushes on 4/2 litres of water maximum – this is 30% less water than the current UK standard.
Toilets are one of the top ‘consumers’ of water in the home, with 45 million domestic WCs in the UK using an estimated 2 billion litres of water per day. Due to the fact that consumers do not replace their bathrooms often, approximately 40 million toilets in our homes flush on excessive amounts of water, between 13 and 7.5 litres per flush. Twyfords estimates that only 5 million domestic toilets flush with 6 litres in accordance with the current water regulations.
Mike Conlon, Sales & Marketing Director of Twyford Bathrooms, explained: “With climate change and global warming, the fact is that the UK now receives much less rain that it once did. With increases in population and urbanisation, this puts extreme pressure on our finite water supply – the UK uses 25% more water than it did in 1980! We are very proud of the Galerie Eco-Flush WC, and are delighted to have been awarded the Waterwise Marque. We are excited that organisations are recognising the necessity to provide consumers with water efficient products, but still believe that consumers must be educated and encouraged to update their WC’s.
“If we are effectively going to drive down WC flushing volumes in UK we need a plan that will remove any objections from the consumer, the plumber or the retailer. In short, I believe we need a 5-point plan that covers the following key areas:
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the product is available on a nationwide basis;
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that it is well designed but has mass market appeal so doesn’t look out of place in a UK bathroom;
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the product can very easily replace current 13 /9 /7.5 /6 litres WCs – i.e. it needs to have same footprint and installation features and fits the normal installation requirements for plumbers and householders;
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that the product complies with all UK and European standards, e.g is WRAS approved and it is tested to EN997 Class 2;
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and that it is priced competitively and so is accessible to all.
These five points would make a significant step towards encouraging ‘the market’ to make water conservation a reality; five points that the Galerie Eco Flush fulfils.”
Twyford Bathrooms added that it had ensured that the Galerie Eco-Flush was not only water efficient and effective, but priced reasonably and easy to install, in order to encourage consumers to switch from water guzzling WCs to the Eco- Flush. Twyford Bathrooms has invested much time and money to ensure that the Galerie Eco-Flush is carefully engineered to flush and remove waste effectively on 4/2 litres. The stylish Galerie Eco-Flush WC has a starting price of £266 for the WC, and consumers will be able to purchase the WC from showrooms and builders merchants across the country.