BUSSELTON TAKES SHOWERING OUTDOORS
11 Sep 2018
New community shower stations installed on the coastal promenade of the popular beach town of Busselton in Western Australia are the result of a newly developed product from the innovative team at CIVIQ.
The Aquafil FlexiShower, CIVIQ’s signature shower product, was specifically developed for public coastal settings. The unique, multifunctional design is capable of withstanding high usage rates as well as salty coastal conditions.
In addition to providing shower amenity to users, the FlexiShower design also includes hand- and-foot-wash water dispensing nozzles, optional wheelchair-accessible drinking fountain basin, inbuilt signage panel, dog drinking bowl, and inground drainage engineered for sandy conditions.
The shower tap includes an inbuilt 20-second timer to prevent water wastage, while the shape of the unit provides increased visibility in public spaces and allows for full-height signage on the reverse.
“The FlexiShower was designed as an extension of our industry-leading FlexiFountain drinking water stations,” explains Product Designer Adrian Wilson.
“As the name suggests, the FlexiShower is flexible in the way it can be configured, with a wide range of options for the shower heads, inbuilt signage, drinking fountain, bottle refill outlet, water filtration, dog drinking bowl and drainage options,” he adds.
With product testing, a new range of FlexiShowers have been developed with enhanced drainage functionalities, ideal for sandy beach fronts. “The next generation of FlexiShowers now feature an enhanced drainage cage that minimises blockages from sand and debris, with an improved anti-splash, no-slip metal grill for added performance and reduced maintenance requirements,” says Adrian.
The FlexiShower is manufactured in CIVIQ’s Western Sydney factory using a combination of heavy-duty marine-grade aluminium and stainless steel, which is pretreated to prevent ‘tea-stain’ blemishes. The product incorporates a number of hygienic design features, including antimicrobial hand-and-foot-wash water dispensing outlets and enhanced drainage options to prevent stagnant water build up.
“Our products are very much informed by the feedback we receive from councils and facility managers, and we are constantly improving our products to meet the demands of public use,” says Adrian.
BUSSELTON
In Busselton, Western Australia, newly installed FlexiShowers are a key feature of the upgraded public foreshore, which also includes expanded landscaped recreation spaces, new entertainment and dining facilities, youth skate and sports parks, a tourist information centre, and a range of other public amenities.
The FlexiShowers in Busselton are configured with the inbuilt drinking fountain option included, which not only provides the public with a dedicated area to boost their water intake but initiates a step forward in reducing waste from single-use plastic bottles in the community.
Busselton Council also created customised artwork graphics for the units that are used to communicate instructions to first-time users, giving colour and visual prominence to the units.
“Feedback from residents, visitors and tourism providers has been overwhelmingly positive”, says City of Busselton Mayor Grant Henley.