Case Study: PureGym Southampton

* Annual estimated savings based on data collected.

¹ 91% of women claimed that the shower is as good as, or better than, a standard shower (using twice as much water).

² 73% of men claimed that the shower is as good as, or better than, a standard shower (using twice as much water).

PureGym ShowerTrial

Results from a commercial trial with the UK’s largest gym chain have confirmed that Kelda’s innovative Air-Powered™ shower system saves 50.3% of the water used by traditional shower systems, with 91% of women claiming that the shower is as good as, or better than, a standard shower.

The trial, led by Professor John S. Shrimpton from the Engineering and Environment Department at the University of Southampton, compared a Kelda shower to the existing shower to measure water flow and user satisfaction. Over the duration of the trial, Kelda’s showers saved 50.3% of the water used by the existing systems. To account for variations in water flow, measurements were undertaken at 30-minute intervals randomly from one of the existing showers and from the Kelda shower immediately after. The average water used per test over the entire test cycle was 8.3 litres for the standard shower but just 4.1 litres for the Kelda Technology showers.

The results demonstrate that gyms could save thousands of litres of water per shower per year and in doing so, save nearly £9,000 a year for a medium-sized gym and nearly £8,000 for a small gym in water and heating costs every year.

Brian Scurrah, former Development Director at Pure Gym Group, said: “Pure Gym has always stayed ahead of the pack by adopting new technology that can make a difference to our customers and business. That’s why we are so excited to be involved with… Kelda.”

The trial also asked users of the showers at Pure Gym Bitterne and Southampton Central whether the experience was better, about the same, or worse, than a standard shower. The overwhelming majority of users felt that the Kelda Technology shower system was as good as, or better than, a standard shower, with 73% of men and 91% of women agreeing with the statement.

Mel Jackson, gym manager at Pure Gym Southampton Central, said: “I’m astounded by the results of the trial. We knew Kelda Technology’s shower system has a good reputation and expected it to be well received, but to see the overwhelming outcome is just proof that installing it is one of the best things we’ve done for our customers. The Kelda Technology shower will undoubtedly have a positive effect on our customer experience and we hope to have them fitted throughout the gym soon.”

Professor Shrimpton said, “The aim of the trial was to compare water usage between Kelda’s Air-Powered™ technology showers and the standard showers used by a national gym chain and to demonstrate that the user experience when Kelda showers are using a lower level of water is at least neutral. The trial exceeded expectations with more than three-quarters of respondents reporting that their experience was the same as or better than the standard showers, despite the clear savings in water usage.”

Chris Jackson, Founder of Kelda Showers said, “This study is fantastic news and proves without a doubt that Kelda Technology showers are not only more environmentally friendly but are also more cost-efficient, halving one of the largest operating costs for gyms and other companies.”