Case study - Greywater harvesting in Portakabin SMART building

Greywater harvesting

Portakabin

Greywater harvesting in the Portakabin SMART building

Portakabin, the UK’s market leader in the manufacture and construction of modular buildings, has partnered with Ecoprod to explore innovative solutions for water conservation as part of its broader sustainability goals. As part of this initiative, Portakabin integrated water-saving technologies, including Ecoprod’s greywater harvesting solution, into one of its latest projects, the SMART Building. This collaboration is a key step in the journey Portakabin is on, towards achieving its carbon reduction and sustainability objectives.

Background to the project

Portakabin focuses on developing sustainable solutions to enhance the mechanical and electrical systems in their buildings. With the rise of global initiatives aimed at achieving net-zero emissions, the company has increasingly prioritised sustainability in its offerings, particularly for clients in sectors like construction, where environmental responsibility is a growing concern.

Within this context, Portakabin worked with Ecoprod to assist with water conservation efforts, building on an existing relationship. The two companies had previously collaborated on integrating water-saving urinals, and this latest project extended the partnership into the realm of greywater harvesting.

Project aims

The primary objectives of the collaboration between Portakabin and Ecoprod were:

To reduce water consumption in a Portakabin modular building.
To implement greywater harvesting technology to reuse water for non-potable purposes, such as toilet flushing.
To create a test bed for showcasing sustainable solutions to potential clients

Client reception and future plans

Feedback on the SMART Building’s sustainable features, including the greywater harvesting system, has been positive. Shaun noted that tier-one contractors, particularly those in the construction sector, have shown significant interest in these technologies. For many clients, sustainability is a major consideration, particularly as they seek to meet their own net-zero targets.

Cost savings are another key driver. While commercial teams often focus on immediate financial benefits, environmental and sustainability managers are equally concerned with carbon reduction. Educating clients on the broader benefits of these technologies—both monetary and environmental—remains an ongoing process.

Looking ahead, Portakabin plans to continue working with Ecoprod on larger-scale implementations of their water-saving technologies. The company is also considering integrating similar systems across its own facilities, further emphasising its commitment to sustainability within its operations as well as in its client offerings.

As the demand for sustainable building solutions continues to grow, the collaboration between Portakabin and Ecoprod, underscores the importance of innovative partnerships in driving positive environmental outcomes particularly as regards reducing water consumption.

The solution

The Portakabin SMART Building, located at its headquarters in York, serves as both a demonstration model and a research and development hub. The building includes a wide range of sustainable technologies such as photovoltaic (PV) battery storage, smart lighting, and heat pump technologies.

The Greywater Harvesting system, supplied by Ecoprod, is a key feature of the building. The system captures and reuses rainwater to flush toilets, helping reduce reliance on fresh water. Given the intermittent usage of the SMART Building—mostly for meetings and demonstrations—the low flush toilets and greywater harvesting system provide an efficient solution for water conservation.

Portakabin sees the SMART Building as both a test bed and a showcase for potential clients. It demonstrates what is possible in terms of sustainable building design, allowing customers to assess the feasibility of implementing similar systems in their own projects.

What the client says

Instead of just talking about doing it, we’ve actually done it to prove the concept. This is all about showing what’s possible on a smaller scale before rolling it out to larger projects.

Shaun Bewlay, Building Services Lead, Portakabin Limited

The process of working with Ecoprod has been very smooth. They provided us with all the information we needed to get the project over the line. We’ve been able to implement the system effectively and demonstrate its value to our clients.

The SMART Building allows us to show clients what they can achieve. It’s not just about what we can do for ourselves—it’s about proving these innovations work and how they can benefit everyone.

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