M1 J23 Truck Stop – Product: Vecta+ Sensor Mixer Tap

The Background:

Conveniently located at J23 (M1), just 100 metres off the M1 traffic island, is Truck Stop J23. Since opening in 1987, J23 Truck Stop has been providing HGV drivers with a safe place to take rests from their journeys and refuel, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

J23 Truck Stop is highly respected within the HGV community, recognised for the excellent onsite facilities it offers, including 180 parking spaces for heavy goods vehicles, a café, toilet and showering facilities, a coin-operated launderette, a restaurant and a licensed bar. J23 prides itself on providing a wide range of first-class facilities, with a home-from-home feel, welcoming approximately 200 HGVs in any 24-hour period, which is why HGV drivers return time after time.

The Challenge:

One area in particular which is crucial for all drivers is the onsite toilet and showering facilities, which collectively comprises of 7 x cubicles, 5 x urinals, 6 x hand basins and 5 x showers. Ensuring that these facilities are fully operational at all times, delivering the best possible user experience for both male and female HGV drivers, while ethically monitoring the volumes of water and energy usage to improve sustainability across the site, was high on the agenda for J23. Following a regular inspection in 2022, J23 Truck Stop identified that a full refurbishment was required to fully modernise the facility and to significantly reduce their water usage and improve their overall carbon footprint.

The Solution:   

We were invited to J23 Truck Stop to conduct a site survey, which offered the opportunity for Cistermiser to provide guidance and ensure that the client’s criteria were fully considered. Following the site survey, options were presented and discussed, which enabled the client to make an informed decision, which was to install a comprehensive solution that offered an attractive payback and would be the most appropriate for the longer term.

The refurbishment began in January 2023, during which temporary facilities were erected, so that the site could remain open. The order was placed through Travis Perkins in Shepshed, who helped ensure that all goods were supplied to the site as they were needed.

The full solution consisted of:

5 x Cistermiser Vecta+ Sensor Shower Panel (SSPV). This model offered a sustainable 8lpm flow regulator as standard, and as the flow rate is set to ~30 secs, this ensures minimal water wastage, with increased energy efficiency to provide a more sustainable, economical, commercial shower, while still maintaining high performance. The 10-year manufacturer’s warranty (provided as standard) also offered reassurance of reliability, while the prospect of achieving a ½ tonne of carbon offset annually was undeniably attractive for J23 in their quest to become a more sustainable site.

2 x Cistermiser Sensazone devices complete with light and fan controllers (LFC’s)  and additional sensors were also selected as part of the overall solution, as it offered an intelligent leak prevention system for the site. Specially designed with non-invasive motion sensors, which would allow water, fans, and lights to automatically activate when the washroom becomes occupied.

Sensazone also provides unlimited daily activations during any 24-hour period, while fully protecting against the risks associated with faulty water outlets or vandalism, crucially closing off water, lights and fans when no motion is detected, the only solution on this market with this capability.

Using Sensazone may also potentially reduce J23 insurance premiums by removing the associated risks of serious flooding and subsequent water damage, while also helping to minimise utility bills, by ensuring that lights and fans are only operational when the facilities are occupied.

The 6 x Cistermiser Vecta+ Sensor Mixer Tap (VSMT) offered J23 the optimum in high hygiene standards, through their non-touch infrared control activation, while also reducing water wastage, increasing efficiency, saving energy, and reducing costs. The VSMT also safeguards J23 against misuse and vandalism, while the smart shut-off responds to power-outages to minimise the risk of flooding, offering an unwavering reassurance which J23 required.

The multi-award-winning EasyFlushEVO CISTERN’s were also installed into the 7x cubicles, to ensure that no water would leak due to debris, scale or degradation of the seal as, unlike the existing solution, as it has been designed without a flush seal below the water line saving J23 up to 146,000 litres of water per unit per year.

The Conclusion:

Following the integration of this comprehensive solution from Cistermiser, it not only meets the needs of the drivers but also delivers the commercial requirements of J23. It is anticipated
that the payback will be fully complete in as little as 5.6 months. Additionally, over the coming year, the estimated water savings will be significant, saving J23 over £6,285.38 in water utility costs, or 2,270,000 ltrs of water*, successfully reducing their water wastage and energy consumption, while additionally saving 1 tonne of carbon per annum. The 10-year manufacturer’s warranty provides J23 total confidence that the showers will withstand heavy usage over their lifetime.

Client Testimonial:

“At J23, our primary objective is to provide safe, home-from-home facilities for our HGV community to use. This ensures our drivers have a comfortable, well-rested stay with us. Our toilet and shower facilities are at the heart of this, and it is therefore critical that we provide facilities that are not only modern, reliable, and fully functioning at all times, but also reflect our commercial, sustainable needs. We are delighted that we have successfully achieved this balance, through receiving welcomed guidance from Cistermiser, we now have a comprehensive, fully integrated water and energy saving solution installed, which will payback in as little as 5.6 months, while additionally saving a seismic 1 tonne of carbon saving.”

J23 Truck Stop Manager fully supports the Road Haulage Association (RHA) campaign to provide improved roadside facilities for HGV drivers across the UK road network.

5 x SSPVs with 8lpm flow rate, when compared to a 14lpm
flow rate (BREEAM BASE) – annually save:
3.5 months payback
1,248,000 litres of water saved
£3,446.57 water cost saving
0.525408 tonnes of C02

* Water Saving Calculations are based on the following assumptions:
Original shower flow rate of (14 l/pm)
Duration of each shower use: (5 mins)
No. of showers p/hr: (x4)
No. of hours showers are used p/day: (8)
No. of days used p/year: 260

Original showers’ total annual water usage: 2,912,000 litres
Original showers total annual water cost: £8,088.66 (based on Thames Water prices)

7 EasyflushEVOs, when compared to a toilet leaking 400 litres per day – annually saving:
5.6 months payback
1,022,000 litres of water saved/wasted
£2,838.81
0.430 tonnes of C02

* Water Saving Calculation of Easyflush EVO are based on the following assumptions:
Quantity of water wasted per day from each WC: 400 litres (based on Thames Water prices)

Carbon emission calculations are based on the following assumptions:
Co2e per M3: 0.421