Cardiff University partnered with Propelair to reduce water use at its McKenzie House administration building in Cardiff. Installing 40 Propelair toilets delivered a 90% reduction in toilet water consumption, saving over 5.26 million litres annually, cutting £16,366 from water bills, reducing carbon emissions, and achieving payback in just 2.3 years.
Client Profile
Cardiff University is a leading UK higher-education institution operating a large portfolio of education and administrative buildings. Water efficiency is critical to the university to reduce operating costs, lower environmental impact, meet sustainability and carbon reduction commitments, and responsibly manage resources across a high-occupancy campus estate.
Challenges / Pain Points
Before the upgrade, the McKenzie House administration building operated by Cardiff University suffered from high water consumption driven by outdated 13-litre flush systems. Rising utility costs, increasing ESG and sustainability pressure, and the need to reduce campus carbon impact exposed inefficiencies. Frequent use in a busy office environment also heightened maintenance demands, risk of blockages, downtime, and inconsistent hygiene performance.
The Propelair Solution
To address excessive water use and improve washroom performance, Cardiff University installed 40 Propelair air-powered toilets at its McKenzie House administration building. Each unit uses just 1.5 litres per flush, replacing inefficient 13-litre systems and delivering up to 90% water savings. Propelair’s unique dry flush function enables blockages to be cleared quickly without water, while QR-based asset tracking support proactive maintenance and reporting. The solution was selected to reduce water and carbon impact, minimise downtime, improve hygiene performance, and deliver strong, measurable financial returns aligned with the university’s sustainability goals.
