Billi Media
How to Choose a Filtered Water System for a New Zealand Workplace
The right commercial filtered water system is the one that matches how your workplace uses water. For facility managers, office managers, procurement teams and workplace designers, that means looking beyond the dispenser itself. User numbers, periods of peak demand, required water options, available underbench space, cooling technology, energy management and ongoing servicing can all affect whether a system is suitable for the site.
Billi has more than 30 years’ experience in instant filtered water systems, and each unit is designed and manufactured in Australia. Our experience covers many of the practical issues involved in specifying systems for commercial environments.
Start with how your workplace actually uses water
Begin with the people using the system. Two workplaces with a similar number of employees can place different demands on an office water system. One may have steady use throughout the day. Another may see concentrated demand before meetings, during scheduled breaks or around lunchtime.
The first step is to understand those patterns. Consider the number of regular users, when demand is highest, how often people make tea or coffee, whether chilled water is commonly used and whether there is demand for sparkling water. Ambient filtered water may also be part of the requirement.
Layout matters too. A workplace with several smaller kitchens or tea points presents a different specification problem from one where a large number of people share a single breakout area.
This assessment helps prevent under-specification and unnecessary complexity. A system with more functions is not automatically a better choice. If sparkling water has little relevance to your team, for example, it does not need to drive the specification.
Read how instant filtered water systems improve workplace efficiency for more context on how instant filtered water can fit into daily workplace routines.
Size the system for peak demand as well as headcount
Once you understand how people use water, the next question is how much demand the system needs to handle at its busiest. Headcount is useful, but it is not enough on its own.
A workplace where people use the kitchen gradually throughout the day may have different capacity requirements from a similarly sized workplace where many employees take breaks at the same time. High-use environments may need greater attention than initial output and recovery.
This is particularly relevant where boiling water is used heavily during short periods. A system that appears adequate when judged only by total staff numbers may be less suitable if a large proportion of those users arrive at the dispenser within a few minutes.
Avoid relying on a simple staff-to-system formula unless it is supported by the specifications for the particular model. Commercial demand is better assessed from actual workplace behaviour.
Choose the water options people will use
Once demand is understood, define what the system needs to dispense. Depending on the model selected, commercial filtered water systems can provide different combinations of boiling, chilled, sparkling and ambient filtered water.
| Water option | Typical workplace use | What to consider |
| Boiling | Tea, coffee and other hot-water requirements | How concentrated is demand during busy periods? |
| Chilled | Cold filtered drinking water | How frequently will chilled water be used throughout the day? |
| Sparkling | An additional drinking-water option | Is there enough demand to justify including it? |
| Ambient | Filtered water without chilling | Is chilled water needed at every drinking-water point? |
As discussed, define the workplace requirement first, then confirm which current Billi commercial systems provide that combination.
Measure the space below the bench and the tap area above it
The dispenser may occupy very little space above the bench, but the unit below it deserves equal consideration.
Measure the available cupboard width, depth and height before finalising a selection. Consider what storage must remain usable, what other equipment shares the cabinet and how technicians will access the unit when servicing is required.
This becomes important during a retrofit. Existing office joinery may have been designed for storage rather than an underbench water system, plumbing and associated services.
Our systems are designed with space-saving underbench footprints, helping make more effective use of valuable cupboard space. For workplace designers and facility managers dealing with compact kitchenettes, that can be an important part of the specification.
For new fit-outs, the best time to address the water system is before cabinetry is signed off. Leaving the decision until later can restrict the available options or may require unnecessary changes to the joinery.
Our article on benchtop vs underbench water filters for your office sink provides further guidance on the implications of each approach.
Compare water-cooled and air-cooled systems
Once the available space is understood, cooling technology becomes an important specification question.
Billi systems use heat exchange and energy reclaim technologies. They do not require cupboard ventilation or a cooling fan, and they operate more quietly than air-cooled systems.
Those characteristics can have practical consequences for a workplace fit-out. Ventilation requirements may affect how joinery is designed, while fan operation can be relevant when underbench equipment sits close to occupied work or breakout areas.
Before cabinetry is finalised, confirm whether the proposed system is water-cooled or air-cooled, whether cupboard ventilation is required and whether the unit’s dimensions and installation requirements suit the available space.
Consider energy use over the working life of the system
As our systems use heat exchange and energy reclaim technology. Waste heat generated through the chilling process is recovered and used to help preheat the boiling-water supply instead of simply being discarded. This is more energy efficient than air-cooled systems.
Our systems also include standby functionality, while the Billi Eco and Sahara models incorporate Eco-Intelligence. This self-learning timer monitors usage patterns and recognises changes such as evenings and weekends, allowing the system to operate according to expected demand.
Avoid assuming a particular percentage saving or payback period unless there is model-specific evidence for the application. Actual operating costs depend on the system, usage and site conditions.
Read about achieving energy efficiency in buildings with billi for more detail on this area.
Include boiling-water safety in the specification
If instant boiling water will be available in a shared workplace, safety functionality should form part of the purchasing decision.
Our dispensers offering boiling water include a safety switch that allows access to boiling water to be locked. A red lock icon shows when the function is active, and the dispenser returns to safety mode after a period of non-use.
Our systems also feature splashfree boiling-water delivery. This electronically varies the water flow as boiling water first enters the cup, reducing splashing during the initial stage of dispensing.
These features are worth considering alongside capacity and convenience, particularly where a dispenser will be used by a large or varied group of people.
Plan maintenance before installation
A commercial filtered water system is not maintenance-free, and that should be understood before the purchase is approved.
Filter replacement and servicing are part of maintaining water quality and system performance. We recommend replacing filters at least every 12 months, with servicing requirements considered according to the particular system and frequency of use.
For a facility manager, this means maintenance should be built into the procurement process. Confirm how the filter will be replaced, what preventative servicing is recommended, whether genuine replacement filters and parts are available and how technicians will access the underbench equipment.
We offer ongoing servicing, including preventative maintenance and access to genuine filters and parts.
Learn about reducing operational costs through smart water system maintenance for further information about planning for maintenance over the life of the system.
Match the system to the building and its users
In a conventional office, the priorities may include peak boiling and chilled-water demand, underbench space, noise, energy management and straightforward servicing.
Education environments can place greater emphasis on safety, convenience, initial output and recovery, particularly where large groups use shared facilities within defined break periods.
Government workplaces may have additional priorities around compliance, energy use, efficient use of space and ongoing asset management.
Hospitality and other commercial environments should be assessed in the same way. Start with actual demand, user behaviour, the space available and the required water functions rather than assuming that a particular configuration is suitable because it is designed for commercial use.
Questions to ask before choosing a workplace water system
Before comparing individual products, turn the requirements into a practical specification brief:
- How many people will regularly use the system?
- When is demand at its highest?
- Which water options are genuinely required?
- How much underbench space is available?
- Is the proposed system water-cooled or air-cooled?
- Does the selected system require cupboard ventilation?
- What energy-management technology applies to that model?
- What boiling-water safety functionality is included?
- How frequently does the filter need replacing?
- What preventative servicing is recommended?
- How will technicians access the equipment?
- What installation requirements need to be confirmed before the joinery is completed?
- Which advertised features apply to the specific model being considered?
- What ongoing operating and maintenance requirements should be included in the purchasing decision?
Instead of asking which commercial filtered water system is ‘best’, ask which system fits the site, demand and operating requirements you have already identified.
Find a system that fits your workplace requirements
Choosing a commercial filtered water system becomes much simpler once the decision is based on workplace requirements rather than product features alone.
We can help assess the available options and identify a commercial filtered water system suited to your site. Contact our team to discuss your workplace requirements.
