National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham – Washroom Controls

Introduction

The National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham is one of the UK’s largest and busiest event venues, attracting millions of visitors each year. The Facilities Team identified a significant issue with high water consumption and frequent septic tank emptying in one of its car park toilet blocks. Although only in use during major events, the facility was generating disproportionately high utility costs. Cistermiser was brought in to investigate and provide an effective, low-cost solution.

The Challenge

The car park toilet block, not connected to the mains sewerage system, discharged into a large septic tank. NEC management noticed that even when the facility was infrequently used, water consumption remained unusually high and septic tank emptying costs were frequent. On inspection, Cistermiser found that the gents’ washroom lacked urinal flush controls, resulting in uncontrolled cisterns continuously filling and flushing, wasting large volumes of water.

Given the substantial number of urinals and cisterns, fitting individual urinal flush controls would have required a high number of units and significant initial investment.

The Solution

Cistermiser proposed an alternative: its Sensazone Washroom Control System. This smart system uses passive infrared (PIR) sensors to detect movement and automatically activate water and electrical services only when the washroom is occupied, turning them off during periods of inactivity.

The Sensazone system was retrofitted easily and cost-effectively, eliminating the need for multiple flush control units. PIR sensors were strategically placed to manage water flow, urinal flushing, and lighting, including adjusting lighting based on ambient daylight levels to reduce unnecessary electricity usage.

The Results

The impact was immediate and sustained:

• Water consumption was drastically reduced, stopping the continuous filling and flushing of urinals.

• Septic tank emptying frequency dropped significantly, cutting costs and maintenance requirements.

• Electricity usage decreased thanks to sensor-controlled lighting.

• Manual intervention was eliminated, making lighting and water control automatic in a remote location.

The NEC experienced a marked reduction in both water and energy bills, while also improving operational efficiency and sustainability.

Conclusion

By installing Cistermiser’s Sensazone system, Birmingham NEC addressed a costly inefficiency with a smart, sensor-driven solution. The project demonstrates how intelligent water and energy management technology can deliver strong environmental and financial returns, even in buildings used only part-time.