With rising operational cost being a leading concern for facility managers, the need for a smart, connected IoT-enabled washroom is here. Facility managers face the challenge to turn passive washroom spaces into intelligent, actively managed assets that track water usage, detect faults or leaks, monitor occupancy and consumable levels, so that data-driven decisions can be made, and ROI can be proven.
Their challenges further extend to tighter hygiene standards, intensified cleaning schedules, rising water costs, material expenses, and ageing infrastructure such as outdated sanitaryware. Combined with growing sustainability and ESG compliance pressures, it’s clear that action is now required.
Turning challenges into smart solutions
Washrooms must become data-driven eco-systems
Data needs to drive every aspect of washroom management. Through smart sensors, connected devices, and integrated platforms, facility managers must move from routine-based operations to predictive and performance-based models. Real-time data should monitor water usage per fixture, enabling precise conservation, detect leaks and plumbing faults before they escalate, track footfall and occupancy to optimise cleaning and maintenance and provide automated alerts for low consumables. This data will not only reduce costs but also proves ROI, support ESG reporting, and build a business case for infrastructure investment.
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Facility managers are analysts and strategists
As public washrooms evolve into smart environments, the role of the facility manager will shift. No longer just custodians of cleanliness and function, facility managers will become strategic analysts and efficiency drivers. They’ll be responsible for interpreting data dashboards, identifying trends, and leveraging performance insights to reduce waste, manage budgets, and improve the user experience. This will require skills in data interpretation, software platforms, understanding IoT infrastructure, ESG and green building compliance and ROI modelling.
IoT-Enabled toilets and urinals will become standard
Forget the traditional flush. In the future, intelligent sanitaryware such as the Propelair OneThreeFive toilet will be the norm in public washrooms. These fixtures won’t just reduce water usage, they’ll communicate, self-monitor, and contribute to building-wide efficiency, starting in the washroom area where up to 90% of total water usage takes place.
Fixtures such as Propelair’s OneThreeFive toilet that use just 1.35 litres per flush and send data on usage, maintenance needs, and water savings will no longer be 'nice-to-haves', they’ll be expected, particularly in high-traffic public environments like airports, malls, universities, and healthcare facilities.
Cleaning will shift from routine to responsive
Besides the immediate and permanent water and cost saving offered by Propelair’s product offering, another immediate application of connected washrooms will be in intelligent cleaning schedules. Rather than relying on rigid time-based cleaning routines, facility teams will clean when needed – based on usage patterns, occupancy sensors, or hygiene alerts. This will result in reduced labour costs and cleaning fatigue, increased user satisfaction and hygiene compliance, and optimised use of consumables and cleaning materials.
ESG compliance will be measurable and marketable
Sustainability is no longer an abstract goal, it’s an obligation that we should all take responsibility for, and that will require robust, trackable data. A connected washroom will provide exactly that! Facility managers will be expected to quantify water savings across estates, report on performance against green building certifications and demonstrate measurable contributions to company ESG goals. This turns the washroom from a hidden utility into a visible sustainability success story, with real metrics that can be shared with stakeholders, clients, and investors.
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Washroom refits will be faster, smarter and scalable
While major renovations used to be the only way to upgrade facilities, tomorrow’s washroom solutions will focus on retrofit-ready technology. A Propelair OneThreeFive cistern is installed 93% faster than a conventional toilet. Disruptions will be further reduced by sanitaryware that work with existing plumbing infrastructure and modular systems that can be scaled across buildings, as is the case with OneThreeFive. Furthermore, a plug-and-play IoT devices that connect wirelessly to dashboards and BMS platforms will dramatically reduce the cost and complexity of modernising older facilities, allowing buildings to leap into the smart era without full-scale rebuilds.
User experience will become a competitive metric
A positive washroom experience will be as important as hygiene. Reduced customer satisfaction within the washroom will leave a negative impression, affecting overall satisfaction with the shopping centre and a decreased stay time, impacting sales and footfall. Public washrooms will be expected to offer real-time cleanliness and stock levels, accessibility for all users, well-ventilated, well-lit, spacious and aesthetically considered environments. Facility managers will measure performance not only through savings, but also through user feedback, app-based reviews, or sensor-triggered analytics.
Procurement will favour long-term value over short-term cost
Procurement strategies will evolve to prioritise total lifecycle value, not just upfront costs. Smart, connected systems will win tenders not only for their innovation but for their proven operational and environmental impact. Facility managers will increasingly select washroom technologies that that offer short payback periods (e.g., Propelair systems achieve ROI in 18 to 24 months), deliver immediate, long-term reductions in water and energy consumption and cost (from the first flush!), align with company ESG goals and provide continuous performance data and service support.
Facility managers will lead the smart building revolution
Finally, public washrooms will act as entry points for smart building strategies. As one of the most resource-intensive and user-sensitive areas in a facility, the washroom is an ideal test ground for innovation. The washroom will no longer be a standalone concern but will be a core part of the building’s digital ecosystem and facility managers who adopt smart washroom technologies will be better prepared to manage and control such an ecosystem.
Final thoughts: The future is connected, sustainable and measurable
The role of the facility manager is changing. No longer a reactive space, the public washroom of the future is a smart, sustainable, and data-rich environment that contributes directly to operational success. By embracing IoT-enabled systems, real-time monitoring, and predictive analytics, facility managers will be empowered to transform challenges into opportunities, unlocking cost savings, improving user experience, and driving measurable ESG impact.
About Propelair
Propelair is an international cleantech company that utilises technology to produce and install one of the worlds’ lowest water-flush toilets. Our innovation replaces up to 7.65lt of water with 70lt of air to achieve an 85% water saving, per flush. We positively contribute and enable our global customers across the healthcare, manufacturing, retail, education, transport, commercial, and industrial markets to change the way the world consumes water.
moc.rialeporp@ofni | www.propelair.com | +44 1268 548322 (EU) | +27 83 273 5711 (SSA) | +971 52 108 4092 (UAE) | +66 90 983 2384 (APEC) +27 83 273 5711 (global)
