Made in Brunel 2012: student's design cuts water waste
Mitch Gebbie will exhibit his 'Waste Not' design at Made in Brunel 2012 Brunel University Design student Mitch Gebbie has created a water saving device to help households reduce waste and save money.
The small, low-cost and easy-to-retrofit design recycles wasted cold water that cools in the pipes after the hot tap is used, and then flows from the tap when it is next turned on while the user waits for the water to heat up. Ideal for both Combi and traditional boilers, Gebbie's compact system sits below the sink and diverts the cold water back into the storage tank until sensors detect that the temperature has risen.
The working and proven device guarantees a saving of almost 10 litres of water per day for the average household, halfway towards the 20 litre daily reduction which Defra has pledged to achieve by 2030. British households currently use around 150 litres each day, and both James Dyson and the Institution of Civil Engineers have recently highlighted the urgent need for water security and household saving to solve the burgeoning waste crisis.
Gebbie’s inspiration for the device, called ‘Waste Not’, stems from growing up in a large rural Victorian home where he worried constantly about the amount of water he and his family wasted while waiting for the hot tap to warm up. He is keen to see the project through to manufacture and adoption across the UK.
“This is a timely solution to the UK’s water shortage and responds to the need for households to take control,” says Gebbie. “As the impacts of climate change are felt across the ever-connected and shrinking global village, the Western world is effectively pouring desperately needed water down the drain”.
“This simple device works; the UK could set an example and lead the way in responsible, sustainable water consumption. I just need an enterprising manufacturer to see the huge opportunity that 'Waste Not' presents to tackle this problem head-on!”
Gebbie's device is one of a number of innovative, environmentally sustainable engineering and design projects on show at the 2012 Made in Brunel exhibition, held from 14-17 June at the Bargehouse, London.
For more information about Made in Brunel 2012 visit the Made in Brunel website or follow the team on Twitter @madeinbrunel12.
To interview Mitch Gebbie please contact Sophia Henri on 07793 555403 or by email at sophia.henri@brunel.ac.uk. Journalists, photographers and television crews interested in attending Made in Brunel 2012 should contact Phil Smith on 01727 733388 or email phil@communicationsmanagement.co.uk