As facilities look to reduce water consumption, restroom fixtures present a clear opportunity, but the opportunity does not without risk. While modern water-efficient models offer lower flow rates, smarter controls and improved design, maintenance and engineering managers must ensure those gains do not come at the expense of performance, maintenance or system compatibility.
In this manufacturer roundtable, Facility Maintenance Decisions asked restroom fixture manufacturers how today’s fixtures are engineered to deliver measurable savings while addressing the realities of legacy plumbing, user expectations and long-term upkeep.
FMD: How do modern water-efficient models improve savings without creating new performance or maintenance challenges?
“Modern water-efficient fittings reduce consumption primarily through lower flow rates and controlled run times. Advances in spray outlet design allow lower gallons per minute (gpm) through pressure compensating technology without compromising performance.
Metering functionality is one way to control water use without relying solely on user behavior. Preset run times limit excessive flow while still supporting proper hygiene. In some cases, existing manual fittings can be updated to metering operation by replacing internal components such as the cartridge and handle rather than the entire fitting body. This modular approach allows facilities to improve water control without major plumbing changes.
Interchangeable cartridge systems further reduce maintenance complexity. When fittings are designed to accept multiple cartridge types, maintenance teams can adjust functionality — manual or metering — without replacing the rough-in or supply connections. This reduces disruption while preserving performance consistency.”
— Greg Hunt, commercial product manager, Chicago Faucet
“Modern water-efficient fixtures use advanced hydraulic pathways and pressure-stabilizing components that maintain strong flow performance, even at lower volumes. Many newer models solve persistent maintenance challenges; for example, those that include durable ceramic gear-driven components have fewer moving parts, reducing wear and tear and outlasting and outperforming solenoids. Newer fixtures also have renewable, uninterrupted hydropower or eco options that require no hardwiring or battery replacement.”
— Zach Dufala, senior manager - business development, Zurn Elkay Water Solutions
“The best water-efficient models do not save water by compromising the user experience. They save water by delivering it more intelligently and by improving how the entire handwashing process works. When soap, water and drying are integrated into one touchless station, you create a more efficient experience for the user and a more controlled environment for the facility.
That matters because efficiency must work in the real world. If a fixture reduces water use but creates splash, inconsistent performance or added maintenance complexity, it is not really solving the problem. The most effective systems are the ones that balance sustainability, performance and serviceability from the start.
Cost savings can be achieved by eliminating paper towels in restrooms. These savings come not only from removing the cost of the paper towels themselves, but also from reducing expenses related to cleaning up discarded towels and water drips on floors, as well as potential plumbing issues when paper towels are flushed or stuffed down drains. By removing these additional costs, facilities also reduce the extra workload placed on on-site maintenance and cleaning teams.”
— Samantha Chila, commercial sales executive, D|13 Group
FMD: What can managers do to ensure modern water-efficient fixtures work with older systems?
“Compatibility assessment is essential before installation. Maintenance managers should:
In older facilities, full replacement may not always be necessary. Where fittings support interchangeable cartridges, managers may be able to upgrade performance or convert manual operation to metering by replacing internal components while retaining the existing fitting body and connections. This approach reduces the risk of threading incompatibility or supply line modification.
Pilot installations in representative areas can help confirm real-world compatibility before full-building implementation.”
— Greg Hunt, commercial product manager, Chicago Faucet
“Before installation, maintenance teams should assess line pressure, supply conditions and capacity for both drainage and waste lines. Many of today’s higher-performing fixtures are designed to operate across a broad PSI range and are built to be compatible with legacy plumbing, with retrofit-friendly mounting systems, gasket kits and flexible connection points. Choosing solutions with wide pressure tolerance and adaptivity can significantly reduce the need for system upgrades.”
— Zach Dufala, senior manager - business development, Zurn Elkay Water Solutions
“It starts with understanding the environment the fixture is going into. Before making a retrofit decision, maintenance managers should look closely at the sink, plumbing, utility locations and overall restroom layout. Water-efficient fixtures perform best when the surrounding conditions support how they were designed to operate.
That is especially true with integrated systems. Basin dimensions, fixture spacing and installation details all matter. When those elements are planned correctly upfront, you avoid a lot of downstream issues and give the fixture the best chance to perform the way it was intended to.”
— Samantha Chila, commercial sales executive, D|13 Group
FMD: What ongoing maintenance practices help extend water efficiency?
“Sustained water efficiency depends less on initial installation and more on structured, preventative maintenance over the life of the fitting.
First, establish routine inspection intervals. Scheduled inspection should include:
In hard water environments, descaling intervals may need to be shortened to prevent performance degradation.
Second, maintain and rebuild cartridges strategically.
Cartridges are or may contain wearable components. Rather than waiting for failure, maintenance teams can implement proactive rebuild or replacement cycles based on usage intensity. Where fittings are built on interchangeable cartridge platforms, this becomes more strategic than reactive. Facilities can:
This flexibility allows water control strategies to adapt without replacing the entire fitting body or modifying plumbing connections.
Third, monitor usage data to detect hidden waste.
Visual inspection alone may not detect continuous flow events or minor valve failures. Connected monitoring platforms allow maintenance teams to:
This type of data supports condition-based maintenance rather than time-based maintenance, allowing teams to intervene earlier and reduce unaccounted water loss.
Fourth, protect internal components with filtration management.
Debris and sediment are common causes of incomplete shutoff, cartridge wear and metering inconsistency. Routine inspection of inlet screens and filters is critical. A clogged or neglected filter can:
Filtration maintenance protects internal components and reduces unnecessary cartridge replacement.
Finally, document lifecycle and performance trends. Maintaining service logs for cartridge replacements, rebuilds, sensor calibration and filter cleaning helps identify recurring issues. Over time, this documentation supports:
Facilities that treat fittings as serviceable assets rather than static components tend to preserve both performance and water efficiency more effectively.
Long-term water efficiency is sustained through a combination of preventative inspection, cartridge management, filtration maintenance, and, where available, usage monitoring. When fittings are designed with interchangeable internal components, maintenance teams gain the ability to adjust functionality as operational needs evolve — extending service life while maintaining consistent water control.”
— Greg Hunt, commercial product manager, Chicago Faucet
“Introducing newer technologies can help maintain peak water efficiency, by using a cloud-based platform that provides real-time alerts, automated line flushing schedules and predictive maintenance insights, helping teams address issues before they impact performance. Routine tasks such as cleaning aerators, verifying sensor accuracy, replacing seals and monitoring internal valves help sustain optimal efficiency. Systems designed with front-access service points, removable cartridges and durable long-life parts make these tasks faster and reduce lifecycle costs.”
— Zach Dufala, senior manager - business development, Zurn Elkay Water Solutions
“Long-term efficiency depends on maintaining the full system, not just the faucet. Maintenance teams should routinely inspect touchless performance, confirm that components are operating as intended and address wear before it affects reliability or water use.
It is also important to keep the overall station functioning the way it was designed. When the sink environment, fixture alignment and serviceable components are maintained properly, the system continues to perform efficiently over time. That is how facilities protect both the investment and the user experience.”
— Samantha Chila, commercial sales executive, D|13 Group
Jeff Wardon, Jr., is the assistant editor of the facilities market.
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