water wastage

FLUSHED WITH SUCCESS

Posted on May 17, 2024

FLUSHED WITH SUCCESS

THE VECTA FROM CISTERMISER offers significant financial savings for customers.

Cistermiser is the UK’s leading provider of water and energy saving management solutions for commercial and public sector washrooms. The Vecta+ infrared tap and shower ranges, from Cistermiser, are modern and smart, designed to curb excess water flow and deliver significant financial savings for customers.

The taps combine infrared technology and practical design for a touchless, hygienic experience. They cleverly enhance hygiene, curb the spread of germs and embody efficiency and with an intelligent safety shutoff after 60 seconds of continuous use. Helping to prevent any water wastage or potential flooding, they’re the ideal choice for holiday park operators.

With the Vecta+ shower range, customers are investing in lightweight, surface mounted and pre-plumbed shower panels which are ready to be installed. A flow duration set for -30 seconds, means holiday park operators can help to reduce wasted water and save energy, while maintaining reliability and high performance.”

The range features the Vecta+ Sensor Tap, a deck mounted single supply basin tap and Vecta+ Sensor Spout, designed for wall or panel installation, both include an external solenoid for straightforward maintenance. The Vecta+ Sensor Mixer Tap, is equipped with a side-mounted control for temperature adjustment. Offering a choice for holiday park operators, the shower range includes the Vecta+ Mechanical Shower Panel and the Vecta+ Sensor Shower Panel. Both are lightweight, easy to install and maintain and come with patented shower head nozzles to reduce scale damage.

For more information visit www.cistermiser.co.uk

AT YOUR CONVENIENCE

Posted on April 27, 2022

AT YOUR CONVENIENCE

Jane Herbert on well-spent investment in washroom facilities…

THE CUBICLE CENTRE’S Cairngorm range is the perfect solution for high traffic areas such as Pillaton Hall Farm.

As the UK staycation boom continues, the focus has never been so intense on the need for holiday park and campsite operators to provide top quality facilities. Footfalls are higher but the customers also ever more discerning, as the industry attracts a new level of clientele. Lee Robinson of Yorkshire based Cubicle Centre who have manufactured, supplied and installed many thousands of bespoke washroom cubicles all over the UK.

Lee advises: “Robustness and longevity of product is key to ensuring your washroom stays in tip-top condition throughout the season. “The smallest rooms in the building really can lead to the biggest frustrations,” Lee explains. “The main pitfall we see in washroom design is when someone has chosen an unsuitable material for cubicles and they end up being completely unfit for purpose.” The Cubicle Centre’s Cairngorm range is the perfect solution for high traffic areas and the ideal choice for many busy campsites, such as Pillaton Hall Farm in Staffordshire.

The Cubicle Centre designed the waterproof, hardwearing and easy to clean cubicles and matching vanity units, made from CGL (Compact Grade Laminate). The facilities at Pillaton were also made to be child-friendly, with low profile wash basins and urinals. “We were pleased with the completed washrooms in our new facilities block. Our customer feedback since the opening has been amazing,” says Pillaton Hall Farm owner, Dave Pearce.

FAMILY FRIENDLY

Appealing to everyone in the family, as well as the needs of less able visitors, is an increasingly important design consideration. According to Lee, washrooms are now much more likely to include family facilities, as well as privacy screens. Having a specific dry area within shower cubicles is also a necessity. “Our washroom panels at a recent caravan park installation in Snowdonia are a good example of dry area provision within a shower cubicle,” says Lee. “The design includes custom bench seating within the units for both practicality and cleanliness.” Dorset-based Commercial Washrooms offer a full turn-key washroom refurbishment and cubicle installation service.

Managing Director, Andy Seddon, highlights their refurbishment of the washrooms at Oakdene Holiday Park in Dorset as an example of how design excellence means combining key functionality with aesthetics. “The main entertainment building at Oakdene is a busy environment with a high footfall,” explains Andy. “The owners were conscious that the new washrooms must be durable, hard wearing and easy to clean, but also knew how important it was to make these washrooms a warm and inviting space.” “Products must be robust and long lasting, whilst at the same time offering a top end look and feel. With large volumes of users in a short amount of time, cleaning, maintenance and replenishment of consumables are all key factors in washroom planning and design.”

HYGIENE ALERT

A consequence of the Covid pandemic has been the huge increase in awareness and standards of hygiene in all public (and private) spaces. “The biggest uplift we have seen is the use of sensor taps and flush controls in order to make washrooms “touch free” and thus more hygienic,” says Andy. “Sensor taps are becoming more prevalent, and with the majority of these now being available as battery powered, they can easily be retrofitted into existing washrooms as an upgrade, without the need for electrical feeds to be installed.”

Commercial Washrooms were also responsible for a recent refurbishment project at Cofton Holiday Park in Devon. A dedicated shower and changing area was needed for non-resident guests using the outdoor swimming pool. New easily-maintained shower enclosures were installed with hygiene and waterproof performance taking prime consideration. The design features sensor flush controls on the toilets and urinals, sensor taps, and a sensor operated hand dryer.

A new PIR lighting system with low energy LED lighting was also installed. Removing touchpoints helps improve hygiene but as Andy explains, the use of sensor operated equipment also delivers other benefits too. “Sensors only let the water or electricity flow for a set period of time; this eliminates the risk of taps being left on, preventing flooding and accidental water wastage, and therefore generating huge water savings.”

ENERGY EFFICIENT

As energy bills increase and we look for ways to save both money and the environment, eco-efficient and energy saving products are becoming more prevalent. Small changes can reap big dividends in washrooms, without the need for a complete refurbishment. Smarti Environmental, the UK’s leading waterless urinal provider, is urging holiday parks to play their part in the battle against water wastage.

The company is offering large organisations with 100 or more urinals, a free washroom trial for 3-months, including free installation of its retro-fit waterless valves. Smarti Environmental’s research shows that there are currently around 3.5 million water-supplied urinals in the UK, which collectively waste 217 billion litres of water each year, equivalent to 87,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools. To put this into an individual perspective, Smarti Environmental says its waterless urinal valve cuts the annual cost of running a water flush urinal by more than 50%, even before plumbing costs associated with blocked pipes and floods caused by calcium build-up are taken into account.

Made from fully recyclable materials, the valves fit 98% of standard urinals with no need to change urinal bowls, and reduce the annual running cost of a typical three bay urinal by between £630 and £1,230 a year. Kimberley Hill, Sales Manager at Smarti Environmental, comments: “Businesses have a key part to play in reducing needless water waste, and one of the simplest and most cost effective steps is to switch to waterless urinals. This not only saves 100,000 litres of water per urinal, per year, but it also cuts related costs by more than half, and CO2 by 105kg per urinal. If all urinals in the UK went waterless, that would be the equivalent of removing 100,000 diesel cars from the road.”

ECO-CREDENTIALS

Eco-credentials are becoming an increasingly important differentiator for modern holiday makers, as well as for those organisations who assign quality ratings and awards. Managing Director of The Loo of the Year Awards, Becky Wall, says that she has noticed a trend for both eco facilities and an increased level of hygiene provision in award entrants. Encouraging the highest possible standards across all ‘away from home’ washrooms throughout the UK and Ireland has been the objective of the annual Loo of the Year Awards since they began in 1987.

A Loo of the Year Award is an established benchmark of washroom provision and compliance to national standards. The Loo of the Year Awards has 61 different categories and the Holiday Parks division is always well-supported with many entrants taking part year after year. Many of the parks have been receivers of the higher grades within the Awards, and according Becky, as new grades have been introduced, the parks have replied by providing even better standards.

THE TEAM FROM PENCELLI CASTLE Caravan and Camping Park with their certificate at the Loo of the Year Awards.

TOILET TWINNING

“In the 2021 Awards, 5.5% of the entrants were from holiday parks and they all received the higher grades - 79% Platinum and 21% Diamond grade,” says Becky. “The 2021 National Category Award Winners for Holiday Parks was won by Broadhembury Caravan and Camping Park for England, Llanberis Touring Park for Wales and Ord House Country Park for Scotland. The National Awards for Baby Changing Facilities in England and Wales were also won by Holiday Parks - Ludlow Touring Park and Pencelli Castle Caravan and Camping Park respectively.

Pencelli went onto win the overall UK trophy too.” Entrants for the 2022 Awards have until 31st July to throw their hat in the ring. Park or site owners wishing to further distinguish themselves, could follow in the footsteps of parks such as Broadhembury and consider Toilet Twinning. This charitable venture raises funds to provide clean water, safe toilets and hygiene training in some of the poorest communities in the world. In return for a £60 donation, toilets can be twinned with a family’s household loo in a vulnerable community overseas. Twinners receive a certificate to display, and the satisfaction of helping transform the lives of those in need.

Cubicle Centre
01924 930854
www.washroomcubicles.co.uk

Commercial Washrooms
01202 650 900
www.commercialwashroomsltd.co.uk

Loo of the Year Awards
01531 640715
www.loo.co.uk

SMARTi Environmental
01392 311 202
www.smartilimited.com

Toilet Twinning
0300 321 3217
www.toilettwinning.org

ENGINE ROOMS – HOLIDAY POOL LOCATIONS

Posted on August 6, 2021

ENGINE ROOMS - HOLIDAY POOL LOCATIONS

THE PICKAQUOY CENTRE Trust offer the complete swimming package for campers making the long trip to Orkney.

Plant rooms are the power houses behind top holiday park pools...

It may be the shots of happy swimmers that fill the glossy advertisements but the real heroes of our holiday park pools are hidden behind the scenes. Packed with automatically controlled, and remotely monitored, water and air quality technology, today’s modern plant rooms are almost a match for a NASA flight deck. A hidden technological treasure trove beneath the pool surface, the vital role of the plant room should never be underestimated. Combining the iconic Butlins, Haven and Warner brands, the mighty Bourne Leisure has been undertaking a £3.5m upgrade of its swimming pool plant rooms. “By the very nature of the beast, many holiday location swimming pools are 30 to 50 years old,” points out Craig Valentine, Bourne’s Regional Health & Safety Manager. “A lot of pool equipment is inherited and, of course, you inherit the problems that go with them. “A future-proof wish list would need a budget between £16 – 20m which we cannot do in one hit so we spread it over several years.” Temporarily halted by the pandemic, Bourne’s current investment programme has included remedial work on 16 of its pools with upgrades planned on 17 more pools next year. Craig says: “We identified our worse performing pools and worked our way up the list to generally raise the bar across the swimming pool stock.”

POOL UPGRADES
Phase one of those upgrades has involved installations of UV water treatment equipment, sand filter changes and the additional of updated chemical controllers. Phase Two will concentrate on updating pipework. Craig explains: “Some were performing at circulation rates of four to five hour turnover and have now been switched to 1.5 hours to two hours which enables us to not only comply with industry guidance but to keep the pools open for longer.” A significant plug of £300k has been invested in leak detection, halting water wastage on a few badly performing pools. “Some people forget about the plant room which is the engine room of the swimming pool, because it is covered up; out of sight and out of mind. “Instead they concentrate on the aesthetics -- but really you have to get the equipment right before you think about the design, because that keeps the swimming pool running efficiently,” he continues. “Generally, the industry has an issue with pool plant sizes,” says Craig. “Sometimes, rather than throw good money after bad; it requires a major strategic rethink in order to tackle plant room issues.” Craig advises choosing equipment that is fit for purpose with improved eco- performance, using less chlorine and less water as well. “Make sure, if you buy new equipment, that it is compatible with what other equipment and don’t just go for salesmen speak,” advises Craig. “Look at new things coming up and try to minimise your chemical handlin,” he adds. “Look for alternatives such as salt chlorination,” he adds. With no laws, regulations or British Standard concerning swimming pool water, it is not always obvious how to demonstrate to customers and staff that you pool is fit for purpose. A free online Code of Practice that codifies the information in the authoritative book Swimming Pool Water published by the Pool Water Advisory Group. (PWTAG). The publication provides pool operators with a structured plan for the technical operation of their pool.

PEACE OF MIND
It makes sense to follow the PWTAG guidance because, if anything does go wrong at the pool, you will be able to demonstrate - in court if necessary – that you were following the best available guidelines.Without this protection, you are vulnerable. It is incumbent on everyone involved in the provision of holiday packages and accommodation to ensure that pools and spas at their destinations are fit for purpose. “We use PWTAG as guidance setters but I get frustrated at people quoting the law at us.” Craig points out. “If you have robust system; good testing; good plant policy and an emergency action plan then you can prove you are adopting best practice.” Craig has worked with Bourne Leisure for 33 years including in his present role for 21 years. “We learned some lessons through restricted pool use during Covid,” Craig reveals. “We understood that some people like to have a structured day and want to know when they are going to swimming and for how long while others want a more relaxed approach. “The pools have not been the problems but the changing facilities. “Getting the guests in the pool and spreading them by 2m in changing rooms – that by their very nature are confined spaces has resulted in a lot more labour, sanitising and ultimately asking people to arrive swim-ready.

BIOMETRIC CONTROL
When it comes to swimming pools, there are plenty of examples of good practice around the UK’s holiday parks. Completed in 2019, the swimming pool at Seldons Golden Gate Holiday Centre, in North Wales, is used by holiday home owners and holiday makers.  Consideration for the build included environmental impact, aesthetic appeal and user experience. The pool hall is an energetic space with high ceilings, a glass facade and clean lines. Sub-floor ventilation voids omit the need for an overhead ventilation infrastructure and provide advanced energy efficient climate control including pool water heating. The pool timetable includes owner- only, adult-only and family swim sessions, along with a lively programme of activities including Water-Walkerz, Water-Peddlerz, RC Watercraft, pool parties and swimming lessons. A bespoke booking system provides customers with the control to use the facility to best suit their requirements. A ‘state of the art’ chemical dosing system ensures water quality is optimal at all times. The integrated Spa areas allow adults to relax and unwind using a variety of bubble stations and high pressure jets.  An integrated children’s pool accommodates safe play incorporating a huge mushroom fountain whilst being at the heart of the pool hall. The pool and changing village access is biometrically controlled allowing ‘real time’ information of users, identify booking trends and peak user times and ensures only pool users are granted access.

HAFAN Y MÃR’S Splashaway Bay pool is the largest in North Wales.

RACING SLIDES
Complete with parachuting penguins, three, 100m flumes and a four-lane racing slide the Hafan y Mar Holiday Park’s Splashaway Bay swimming pool has benefited from a major upgrade. The £3.1m investment included the addition of a new toddler pool, multi-lane swimming pool and food outlet. The wave pool, rapids, main pool slides and flumes were all refurbished, as well as introducing additional fun filled water features. The Lady’s Mile Holiday Park in Dawlish, Devon, removed the old boiler system on its swimming pool and replaced it with brand new eco-boilers. They added new energy efficient pool covers fitted to maintain the temperature of the pool, which in turn reduces energy consumption. They have also purchased a pool hoist, allowing customers with mobility issues to gain access to our pool. Regularly investments in your water features, especially the plant equipment, will ensure your holiday park pool remains the jewel in your visitor crown.