Retail property group Hyprop Investments is installing water-friendly Propelair-manufactured toilets across its retail property portfolio following a trial of 47 units at the Clearwater Mall.

Some 250 toilets will now be installed at Hyde Park Corner and Rosebank Mall and Offices, with Phase 2 installations set to take place at The Glen and Canal Walk shopping centres.

Further sites for the installation of the lowest-water-flush toilets are being evaluated.

The move forms part of a series of water- saving initiatives Hyprop is implementing, including the introduction of remote water meters, waterless urinals and low flush volume toilets, installing aerators on all taps, using grey water in some centres and migrating from water-cooled heating, ventilation and cooling systems to air-cooled systems.

“We are introducing energy, water and waste initiatives to support our environmental strategy and to make our centres more environmentally sustainable. Installing Propelair technology will save a lot of water and aids us in this goal while having a positive impact on savings,” explains Hyprop CEO Morné Wilken.

Propelair toilets, which are designed and manufactured in the UK, use, on average, 84% less water than standard models, combining just 1.5 litres of water with a high-speed jet of air to leave the pan super-clean in one flush. The closed lid improves hygiene by reducing airborne germs by up to 95%.

“Propelair’s patented technology brings big savings in water, energy and cost to out-of-home venues, where toilets can be flushed hundreds of times daily. This reduces water and sewage bills to such an extent that the toilet pays for itself in under three years in most cases. Payback in busier sites can be achieved within months,” says Propelair CEO David Hollander.

“We are very pleased Hyprop is taking our innovative water- and money-saving technology to shoppers across Southern Africa. Our technology saves water immediately – gains that continue to accumulate by the day, year-on-year. With the technical innovations we are working on, those savings will be even greater.”

He says that a growing list of some 200 commercial and public-sector customers are saving nearly one-billion litres of water a year – which is enough to fill about 350 Olympic pools – while benefiting from enhanced green credentials.

Hyprop will continue to evolve its environmental sustainability strategy, mitigate carbon emissions and own and manage sustainable centres, a strategy that is aligned with its commitment to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 6 of clean water and sanitation.

In addition to water-saving initiatives, Hyprop’s environmental sustainability plan also incorporates reduction of waste and the use of renewable energy, comments Wilken.

These initiatives include installing remote energy meters, LED lighting, solar photovoltaic plants in six Gauteng centres and upgraded facades and skylights to maximise natural light and reduce heat gain.