- Sustainable infrastructure & hydration in newly constructed properties
Why should the occupants of properties built in 2024 have to endure the same struggles for pure water as the occupants of properties built in the 1980s or 90s?!
Properties constructed in 2024 will serve current and future generations as places to work, learn, play and live for the next 25 to 50 years and beyond.
Accessing pure drinking water for hydration and to make beverages, ice etc., is an integral part of our daily lives and activities in any environment. In fact, the ease of access to pure water and refreshment will directly impact well-being, comfort, performance and overall daily experience in any space.
This is true whether it is a 4-person villa, a hotel with 350 rooms or a call centre with 2400 people.
Yet, when planning and constructing a property, access to pure drinking water is often overlooked right up until the occupants start moving in and someone gets thirsty.
Bottled water – whether 5-gallon or the 500ml – then becomes the status quo. Along with the bottle becoming the default choice comes the hassles of predicting use, ordering, lifting, storing, the risk of running out and late and sometimes intrusive deliveries.
Lifting and transportation of full and empty bottles (sometimes to multiple floors), allotting the required storage space and/or the discarding of plastic waste are additional woes.
All this, after making the investment of their lives in a modern property ultimately designed to fit their lifestyle and taste.
At Newport Water, we often find ourselves consulting with newly constructed properties valued between US 2 and US 40 million, after the fact.
The scenario often goes like this:
We’re called in by an enthusiastic new tenant or owner, who shows us their new space with pride. They explain that they’ve seen our sustainable bottle-less technology and because it is a new space they want something similar/equivalent that matches their space and makes their lives easier.
Fortunately, there are times we can help and make it a reality for them, despite the lack of planning.
However, too often, we are seeing crestfallen or disappointed clients who after making the investment of their lives are forced to resort to the bottle (pun intended) on a daily and weekly basis.
The Solution
- Simple, low-cost infrastructure -
The good news is that architects, designers, MEP (Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing) engineers, contractors and project managers and property owners can banish this problem forever. The Newport Water team continues to innovate and drive change in the space of pure water and refreshment. One of our latest innovations is the RefreshPoint System™(RP).
We’ve designed RefreshPoint™ to ensure pure water easily accessible at key points throughout a property/floor. Each RefreshPoint™ point is connected back to and fed by a central water purifier at a designated space on each floor. RefreshPoint™ is designed to feed any appliance or equipment which uses pure drinking water – water dispensers, coffee machines, ice machines, integrated tap systems and refrigerators etc.
There are 3 simple, low-cost requirements to implement the RefreshPoint™ system:
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1. Planning – At the design stage of project the building professionals pin-point on plans where the RefreshPoint™ systems are needed, i.e. where pure drinking water may be essential. Common locations include: receptions/lobbies, central offices, lunchrooms and/or hallways in corporate environments and kitchen, bar and entrance areas for villa or private homes.
Next, they identify the best location for the compact, central purifier that will feed these RefreshPoints. The purifier location can be in a cupboard, a storeroom or utility room up to 50+ feet from the RP systems but must have access to a potable water source, a drain and 110V power.
- 2. Standard 1” electrical conduit – This runs under the floor before concrete is cast to connect RefreshPoint™ locations back to the central purifier on each floor; Important note – do not use pressurized water pipes. This is strictly an electrical conduit which will act as a sleeve for Newport’s specialized water tube.
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3. RefreshPoint™ boxes – Special RefreshPoint™ boxes are inserted in drywall or block walls at the points chosen during the planning phase. The conduit feeds directly into these boxes.
Each box is recessed into the wall and finished with a beautifully brushed stainless steel plate. This gives the point a flushed, aesthetically pleasing finish.
Infrastructure vs Equipment
- Understanding the difference -
We make a point of differentiating between implementing the infrastructure and implementing the equipment. We often hear from building professionals who say that the decision is out of their hands and that the client will have to decide if this is something they want. We say the client’s decision/choice relates to the equipment – not the infrastructure. Here is why:
The Infrastructure
Infrastructure is NOT water dispensers, ice and coffee machines etc.; The infrastructure consist of planning the RefreshPoint locations, conduit, and RefreshPoint boxes. That’s it.
We make a case for the infrastructure to be implemented as standard on every project – whether the client requests it or not for the following reasons:
|- It is low cost and mostly invisible, but it can make the world of a difference on how the client/tenants experience in the new space.
|- It is nearly impossible to implement after the project is complete
|- The client may use this immediately on moving in or 1 year later or 5 years later. The point is, it is available when required.
|- The client expects their building professional to think ahead and be aware of key trends and infrastructure that will enhance the value and experience of their investment; especially when it is low-cost, essential infrastructure. i.e. A client doesn’t have to ask that electrical outlets be installed.
The EQUIPMENT
Where the client’s selection and choice come in is with the system or type of equipment, if any. Client choices can include, water dispensers, ice machines, coffee machines, Integrated tap systems or bottle-fillers and/or water boilers. We do recommend that Integrated Tap System (ITS), in-wall systems or units needing built-in drains be specified at design and build stage.
Where a client does not choose to go with equipment immediately, the RefreshPoint™ points remain dormant without negatively impacting aesthetics and can be utilized at any time.
The Benefits of RefreshPoint™
RefreshPoint enhances property value and the living experience of occupants in several ways:
The Benefits of RefreshPoint™
RefreshPoint enhances property value and the living experience of occupants in several ways:
- 1. It gives the client the option to go sustainable and live hassle free.
- 2. It is low cost and simple to plan and implement.
- 3. There is no need to source different types of filters from a range of suppliers for the various water using appliances.
- 4. There is a consistent quality of purified water feeding all points.
- 5. It works with a wide range of applications and appliances from different suppliers that requires pure water.
- 6. It is discreet and gives an aesthetically pleasing finish that is second to none.
- 7. It builds trust, value appreciation for building professionals.
Water and refreshment are integral parts of our daily lives in any space we occupy. The ease of access to hydration and refreshment will determine our overall experience in any space – how much we enjoy the environment and our ability to perform at our best.
Barbados, Saint Lucia and Jamaica are some of the most water-stressed countries in the Caribbean. As the demand for water continues to grow, these challenges are becoming more urgent.
The occupants of properties completed in 2024 and beyond should never have to default to bottled water and deal with the daily hassles that come with that.
In a world that is moving towards sustainability, speed and is convenience driven, consideration must be given to clients who are making significant lifetime investments in new properties/buildings.
These properties will be where future generations live work, learn and play. Due to the significance and long-term nature of these investments, clients hire trained and certified building professionals who they expect will be aware of and implement infrastructure and technologies that will enhance property value, lower cost and provide options which enhance their lifestyle/living experience.
Newport’s RefreshPoint for pure drinking water infrastructure allows clients to banish bottled water from newly built properties. Instead, it gives them the option of implementing bottle-less technologies which are sustainable, aesthetically pleasing and highly convenient.
