KWC DVS chosen for Heathrow Terminal washroom projects

KWC DVS were thrilled to be chosen for the refurbishment project at Heathrow Terminal 5. KWC DVS have worked with Heathrow Airport for over 15 years, providing brassware and water controls and have become established as a trusted partner. To fulfil their requirements, the Terminal 5 design team at Heathrow Airport worked with KWC DVS to expand the range to include flush valves, urinal controls, and automatic taps. This specification was then carried forward to future Terminal projects.

After thoroughly reviewing washroom products from leading suppliers, the Heathrow Airport design team nominated KWC DVS as the preferred supplier. There was a high level of confidence in the reliability of the products and support provided by previous successful collaborations.

The results, achieved through close collaboration, have provided both parties with significant benefits. Heathrow Airport obtained the exact specifications they required, and KWC DVS was able to produce some of their next-generation products. With an anticipated 35 million passengers a year passing through the terminal, the products needed to be robust and withstand a high footfall, offering cost and operational savings.

When the flush valves were introduced to Heathrow as a retrofit product, it reduced water consumption by millions of litres per annum and reduced maintenance costs by 85%. The flush valves are electronically operated, allowing the user to wave their hand within 50mm of the sensor to flush the toilet; the valve open time is adjustable to enable optimum flushing. The sensor control offers additional benefits such as touch-free operation, excellent hygiene, and ease of use for less-abled users and young children, along with its robust vandal-resistant material properties and modern and aesthetically pleasing design.

A urinal control system was also developed specifically for the Terminal 5 project. These innovative market-leading products provide water-efficient operation whilst keeping the bowls fresh, creating a cost-effective solution for what would become their next generation of individual control urinal sensors. Individual controls coupled with two-channel control boxes enabled the independent control of one or two urinal bowls. This solution meant that the costs were substantially reduced; individual control systems only flush the bowls when used, whereas many PIR systems on the market flush all the urinals at set intervals.

Automatic taps were also used throughout Heathrow Airport airports, which met the new requirement for a wall-mounted, touch-free solution. The Aquarius range of touch-free taps and TMV3 controls provided a water-efficient, safe, hygienic hand-washing solution.

Throughout the project, the working relationship between Heathrow Airport and KWC DVS flourished, resulting in shared ideas directly influencing product enhancements. This has resulted in the further developing of optimum water-saving products, which are now available as part of the standard range and installed in subsequent Heathrow projects.