Last year, after a water neutrality report showed that Henfield Leisure Centre was losing a large amount of water, the centre created a water efficiency program. They submitted the plan to Southern Water and received funding from the Southern Water Business Partnership Fund.
To save water and reduce their bills, the centre replaced its inefficient toilets and installed a rainwater harvesting system. The old toilets, which were over 35 years old, used 9 litres of water per flush. A local company, Perry's Group, was hired to install new toilets that use only 4 litres per flush. The Sharkies toilets, which were only 10 years old, were adjusted to also flush at 4 litres to match the new ones.
Perry's Group also installed the rainwater harvesting system - a large underground tank that collects rainwater from the Padel court run-off. When the tank fills to a certain level, it pumps water into the cistern that supplies the toilets. If there is not enough rainwater, the system can switch to the main water supply. The leisure centre expects to save around 700,000 litres of water per year. An additional benefit was discovered during the groundworks for the tank, old disconnected piping was found. New piping was installed, which will improve drainage on Kingsfield. A new outdoor tap will also be installed, connected to the harvesting system, for the parish council to use for watering the cemetery behind the leisure centre.
Simon Thompson, Henfield Leisure Centre