Public opinion varies markedly in terms of where prisoners and displaced persons should be accommodated. The attitude used to be ‘so long as they aren’t near me’, but the growing voice of human rights supporters is demanding better conditions for society’s unfortunate and underprivileged.

Water supply and sanitation are crucial for managing the health and well-being of inmates in relatively confined facilities. When one of the plumbing industry’s main suppliers mentioned to WPR the important role played by plumbing electronics in detention centers, we decided to learn more about a unique facility in the Netherlands.

In that country, floating prisons that use the latest developments in plumbing technology have been constructed as alternative detention facilities. This technology includes the provision by Stern Faucets of its piezo technology for two new detention boats in Amsterdam as well as a renovated detention boat in Rotterdam.

These projects use a programmable piezo switch for different types of application. For example, a prisoner’s cell has piezo switches as an interface to control water flow at the wash basin, shower and toilet. The switch connects to a latching solenoid valve to open and close the water flow, or connects to a solenoid valve incorporated in a piston flush valve for toilet flushing.

Stern Faucets director of international sales Christiaan Scholtes says the piezo button is an important tool in the prevention of bacteria growth (that can cause Legionnaires Disease) in water supply lines by allowing showers, wash basins and toilets to flush automatically every 24 hours.

“The robust design and the fact that the button has no moving parts almost completely eliminates the need for maintenance. If necessary, remote maintenance is possible through a single wire that leads from the central service area to each piezo button in the prison cells. Maintenance and safety costs are drastically reduced, as maintenance personnel and prison guards do not need to enter individual prison cells.

“Piezo refers to the properties of certain types of crystal that change shape with the application of electrical voltage, and which in turn produce electrical voltage as a result of these changes. The word is derived from the Greek ‘piezein’, which means to squeeze or press.

“Piezo-electric devices are made with these crystals, which are ceramicized, layered, and converted into elements to serve as the central units in digital devices. Advance qualities of these piezo-electric devices include great force, rapid response times, and high displacement accuracy. They are also exceptionally energy efficient and small enough to use in the thinnest, most compact locations.”