Hygiene and Sustainability

When selecting tapware, it’s fair to say that amongst the many practical considerations for modern specifiers, two sit front of mind: hygiene and sustainability. These issues affect all sectors of business as well as private and public life. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the need to ensure proper hygiene into sharp focus across the globe and Australia is currently grappling with this problem. In addition, climate change is now ranked as the most significant threat to Australia’s environment and economy.1 The country is seeing longer and more severe droughts than ever before, making the proper use and conservation of water of the utmost importance. It is imperative that management of these issues be reflected in public and private spaces, as they are having a profound effect on the collective psyche of Australia, one which may fundamentally alter and shape the way things are done for many years. 

In the architecture world, tapware specification sits at the convergence of these issues. Traditional manual tap systems have long been recognised as a key germ transmission point, facilitating the spread of bacteria through repeated physical contact by multiple people. Even after washing hands, manually shutting off a tap can retransmit bacteria to clean hands. Taps have also historically been a site for significant water wastage, through unregulated or excessive flow rates, and human misuse by leaving them running longer than necessary or failing to shut them off correctly after use. 

Through innovative design and technology implementation, sensor tap systems can alleviate these issues, delivering excellent hygiene and water efficiency for modern spaces. Sensors remove the need for any direct contact with the faucet by users, reducing the spread of germs and bacteria. By precisely automating the flow of water when there are hands in front of the sensors, they can save multiple litres of water per use. For highly trafficked areas this can be thousands of litres per day. Additional innovations such as temperature regulators and maximum continuous flow times further ensure that water is only on for as long as it needs to be.  

This whitepaper will examine the issues around hygiene and sustainability in the context of modern social and ecological concerns, and detail how modern sensor tap systems can mitigate the associated risks

Good hand hygiene is recognised worldwide as one of the best ways to minimise the spread of infection.2 Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the importance of handwashing and proper technique has been one of the main messages spread across the globe. The thorough, 20-second wash is now a ubiquitous recommendation from governments worldwide as they look to further contain the pandemic.

Manual tap handles have long been regarded as key germ transmission points. As part of COVID-19 containment measures, infection control experts recommend that people have no direct contact with taps in public spaces, instead using paper towels to turn them off.4 This is a key concern for designers and specifiers who seek to make spaces like kitchens and bathrooms - in residential, commercial and public spaces - more hygienic and safer for occupants. 

A primary issue with manual tap operation is the spread of skin-associated pathogens between people,5 and research has identified a ‘concerning’ prevalence of skin-associated bacteria on restroom surfaces

Through automatic starting and stopping of water flow when the sensor recognises hands in front of the faucet, sensor taps alleviate this concern. This feature is especially effective in public bathrooms which may see thousands of users per day. It is also beneficial in applications where cross-contamination is a concern, such as commercial kitchens where certain foods such as raw meats must be prepared separately from other dishes.

Stagnant water is a key transmission point for the spread of legionella bacteria - the cause of legionnaires disease, a potentially fatal pneumonia-like infection.7 This can occur in modern toilets, basins, and baths, as well as the pipes, tanks or faucets of modern water delivery systems. To combat the likelihood of legionella build-up, along with other water-borne pathogens, health services recommend routine flushing of water outlets to cycle through any stagnant water.8 Sensor taps can be equipped with an automatic flushing mechanism to cycle through the water every 24-72 hours. This removes the potential for bacterial outbreak due to human error (forgetting to flush the taps) or for premises whose taps may go unused for extended periods of time (due to closure over weekends, for example).

Stagnant water is a key transmission point for the spread of legionella bacteria - the cause of legionnaires disease, a potentially fatal pneumonia-like infection.7 This can occur in modern toilets, basins, and baths, as well as the pipes, tanks or faucets of modern water delivery systems. To combat the likelihood of legionella build-up, along with other water-borne pathogens, health services recommend routine flushing of water outlets to cycle through any stagnant water.8 Sensor taps can be equipped with an automatic flushing mechanism to cycle through the water every 24-72 hours. This removes the potential for bacterial outbreak due to human error (forgetting to flush the taps) or for premises whose taps may go unused for extended periods of time (due to closure over weekends, for example)

A primary issue with manual tap operation is the spread of skin-associated pathogens between people,5 and research has identified a ‘concerning’ prevalence of skin-associated bacteria on restroom surfaces.6 Through automatic starting and stopping of water flow when the sensor recognises hands in front of the faucet, sensor taps alleviate this concern.

Sensor taps precisely automate the start and stop of water flow when there are hands in front of the faucet. Turning off taps whenever possible, for example while brushing teeth or washing the face, saves litres of water and has long been part of Governmental watersaving recommendations.12 Automation removes the scope for human error from this process.

Sustainability is a key concern for designers and specifiers across all facets of architectural projects, but conservation and effective use of water is especially important. With research showing that recent Australian droughts have been among the worst in 800 years,10 installation of water-efficient fittings is a necessity. Similarly, estimates show that simply by installing water-efficient fittings and maintaining them regularly, businesses can save thousands of litres of water per year, maximising their cost efficiency in the process.

There are many ways in which sensor taps improve sustainability outcomes and conserve water through their innovative design. Sensor taps precisely automate the start and stop of water flow when there are hands in front of the faucet. Turning off taps whenever possible, for example, while brushing teeth or washing the face, saves litres of water and has long been part of Governmental water-saving recommendations.12 Automation removes the scope for human error from this process. Many models of sensor taps also come with programmable maximum run times. This means that, should anything become stuck in front of the sensor, the tap will only run for a predetermined amount of time before shutting off.

Some taps may take up to a minute before they produce hot water, resulting in up to 12 litres of wastage. Sensor taps eliminate this problem by providing preset temperature options to ensure that the water temperature is correct from the moment it begins flowing. Specifiers should also consider the flow rates as a key marker of water conservation prior to selection. The Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards (WELS) scheme is a Government accreditation that offers a maximum 6-star rating to the most efficient products.13 6-star rated taps offer a flow rate of less than 4L a minute and, wherever possible, specifiers should opt for 6-star rated taps. However, in some circumstances, a higher flow rate may be required. Regardless, 5-star (maximum 6L/minute) or 6-star taps are widely seen as the industry benchmark and specifiers should generally try to avoid anything less.