Cistermiser urges schools to make direct flushing part of washroom upgrades

Schools planning refurbishment and energy efficiency programmes should use the opportunity to rethink how their washrooms use water, according to Cistermiser, which is encouraging education estates to consider direct flushing technology as an alternative to traditional cistern-fed urinals.

According to Waterwise research, up to 3,100 litres of water could be saved every day in every school by tackling leaky loos and taps. Based on the UK’s 24,000-school estate, there could be up to 74,400,000 litres of unnecessary water use every single day.

Cistermiser’s call for direct flushing comes as awareness grows to improve the performance of educational buildings. The Renovate Europe campaign has called for all educational buildings to be renovated by 2035, highlighting the scale of the opportunity to create schools that are more efficient, healthier and better suited to the needs of pupils and staff.

While much of the focus of refurbishment programmes is placed on energy efficiency, heating and building fabric, Cistermiser says water consumption should form part of the same conversation. Washrooms can represent a significant and often overlooked source of water use within educational buildings. Traditional urinal installations can waste substantial quantities of water if flushing is poorly controlled, with water potentially being used regardless of whether facilities are occupied.

Previous guidance for schools has demonstrated the scope for reducing water consumption through measures including monitoring, maintenance and the specification of more efficient washroom equipment. With school budgets under sustained pressure, avoiding unnecessary consumption can help estates teams control utility costs while supporting wider sustainability objectives.

Cistermiser’s Direct Flush range provides a practical solution for schools upgrading existing washrooms or specifying facilities for new and refurbished buildings. Rather than relying on a traditional automatic cistern serving multiple urinals, Direct Flush valves are connected directly to the mains water supply and use infrared presence detection to control flushing.

When a user is detected, the valve automatically manages the flush cycle, meaning water is used in response to demand rather than being discharged at regular intervals irrespective of washroom use. This can be particularly valuable in schools, where washroom occupancy fluctuates considerably between lessons, breaktimes, evenings, weekends and school holidays.

Cistermiser offers Direct Flush valves for both individual urinals and urinal troughs. The valves are designed for straightforward installation and can be concealed within service areas, helping specifiers create uncluttered washroom environments while providing automatic, touch-free operation.

Removing the traditional cistern also eliminates stored water and associated distribution pipework from the urinal flushing system, reducing the number of components that need to be accommodated and maintained.

 “When schools look at sustainability, energy and carbon are often the first priorities, but water deserves a place in that conversation too. Washrooms are used intensively at certain points in the school day and very little at others, so continuously flushing urinals simply doesn’t reflect how these buildings actually operate,” says Richard Braid, Managing Director at Cistermiser.

“Direct flushing gives schools a simple way to match water consumption much more closely to demand. When washrooms are being refurbished anyway, it is an ideal opportunity to move away from older cistern-based systems and consider technology that can reduce unnecessary water use while also simplifying the installation.

“With education estates facing the challenge of improving ageing buildings while keeping a close eye on running costs, relatively straightforward changes to washroom specification can contribute to a much bigger programme of efficiency improvements.”

For facilities teams, direct flushing can offer maintenance benefits alongside water savings. Fewer components and the removal of cisterns and associated pipework can reduce potential points of failure, while individual control allows flushing performance to be managed at each urinal.

As schools consider how existing facilities can be made fit for the coming decades, specifying demand-led flushing alongside other water-saving measures can help ensure refurbishment investment delivers benefits beyond appearance alone, creating washrooms that are more efficient, easier to manage and better equipped for the demands of the education environment.