Portsmouth Water has partnered with the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and technology specialist Smarti to launch a new pilot project aimed at reducing water consumption and improving efficiency across operational sites.

Photo:Southwick House, former home of Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force for DDay

and location of historic DDay Map. Ministry of Defence ©

The pilot, which began with the installation of Smarti’s innovative smart urinal system at an MOD site on 22 July, is now underway. Smarti provided the installation free of charge and will continue to maintain the system at no cost for six months, enabling Portsmouth Water, the MOD and Smarti to assess the technology’s impact on water consumption, maintenance requirements and associated costs.

The project forms part of Portsmouth Water’s ongoing commitment to supporting customers and partners in identifying practical solutions that help protect valuable water resources while delivering financial and environmental benefits.

Smarti’s system has the potential to save significant volumes of water when compared with traditional flushing systems. Previous installations have demonstrated substantial reductions in water usage, helping organisations lower their environmental footprint and operating costs.

Should the pilot prove successful, the findings could help support the wider adoption of Smarti’s technology across the MOD estate, creating the potential for significant long-term water savings.

Sam Dawson, Head of Demand Management at Portsmouth Water, said:

“At Portsmouth Water, we’re always looking for innovative ways to reduce water demand and encourage efficient water use. This pilot represents an exciting opportunity to assess how new technologies can deliver meaningful water savings while also reducing maintenance requirements.

By testing the solution in a real-world environment, we can better understand the benefits it could offer organisations operating at scale.”

The pilot is expected to generate valuable insights into how innovative water-saving technologies can support both environmental goals and operational efficiencies across large estates.”

James Stokes, Sales Director at Smarti Environmental, said:

“We’re delighted to be supporting Portsmouth Water & the MOD on this project, particularly given the historical significance of Southwick House. Not only does our engagement positively impact the current water scarcity crisis, but also has the potential to save the public purse a significant sum & improve day-to-day operations for the MOD.”

Charlie, Area Utility & Sustainability Manager Portsmouth for the Defence Infrastructure Organisation, said:

“The Portsmouth area was designated by the Environment Agency as being in Serious Water Stress in 2021. Since then, we have worked hard to better understand our water consumption and, more importantly, identify where unnecessary water losses occur across our local estate. Through this work, we found that the large number of urinals across our sites represented one of the most significant sources of water wastage, even where automated controls had already been installed.”