Living in the seaside city of Brighton, inventor of Waterblade, Nigel Bamford became aware of the scarcity of water not just worldwide but here in the UK. Since 1960 the amount of water people use in the UK has increased by 66%.
We are now consuming 141 litres of water per day. If present levels of consumption continue not just for us but worldwide, two-thirds of the global population will live in areas of water stress by 2025.
Water is hidden in all that we see: in our cars, our clothing, even in our sandwiches.
We can easily reduce our water footprints. We can buy water efficient white goods, turn off the tap while we brush our teeth and fix leaks, but how can we make a significant reduction in water consumption and the energy used getting it to us?
Inspired by the Dyson Air Blade, which was improved by spreading the air flow out, Nigel created the water saving device Waterblade to save significant amounts of water. With the help of Innovate UK, the EU and the Green Growth Platform he developed it to fit easily to most taps.
It uses the surface tension of the water to spread a small flow into a sheet making it efficient for washing and rinsing but using dramatically less water. It uses between 1.9 and 2.7 litres per minute, compared to a normal tap which uses 10 to 20 litres per minute.
The Waterblade has been fitted in some of the UK’s most recognisable buildings (HSBC Canary Wharf, Birmingham Bull Ring Shopping Centre, The Leadenhall Building also known as the Cheese Grater) and many more worldwide.
The product itself has developed in sophistication. It is now electro-chrome plated and incorporates state of the art flow control, meaning it is totally ‘plug and play’. All you need to do is change the nozzle on your tap, and the flow is optimised for all mains pressures.
Waterblade has won the top UK innovation and water industry awards both in the UK and overseas and is now used by companies such as Sainsbury’s, HSBC, Microsoft, Unilever and many others.
Visit our website: www.thewaterblade.com
