The Horizon 2020-funded Propelair toilet uses an air pump to force waste out, substantially reducing water consumption.

The technology means that the toilet only requires 1.5 litres of water per flush, a reduction of 84% compared to a typical conventional model.

Propelair was recently awarded a €1.3m project grant under the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme.

Founder Garry Moore said that local UK water authority Thames Water were delivering hippos – a water saving device – to its customers, which they “would put in your toilet cistern to retain a litre of water so that you use less water to flush it. Having tried one, my toilet didn’t flush very well, it left stuff behind and I had to flush it two or three times.

“I started thinking it was ridiculous that we use such a large amount of water to dispose of such a small amount of waste.”

As well as saving water, the Propelair toilet it reduces the energy used in processing the waste and its sealed lid suppresses the spread of airborne contaminants that can be released when a normal toilet flushes.

The bottom-end price for the toilet is £675 (~€755) plus VAT, and the company is currently working on a financing package that would allow customers to install the product effectively for free, paying only as savings begin to be made.

In 2014, the company received a £2.6m (~€2.9m) funding round. Moore added that: “Many parts of the world have extreme water problems. Some of that is something governments are dealing with and we’ve had dialogue with some overseas governments. We’re in the process of growing our capability overseas by appointing partners.”

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