AN innovative water-saving device – which halves the amount of water used in toilet flushing – will be launched on the mass market following a five-figure funding deal.

Mirfield-based David Wilks, who has appeared on TV’s Dragon’s Den, has been awarded £25,000 by CO2Sense Yorkshire, a green business support and market development programme funded by Yorkshire Forward and the European Regional Development Fund.

The investment will help David to manufacture and develop his Saver-Siphon device for distribution through DIY stores.

The device, which will retail for about £20, has the potential to save billions of litres of clean water from being wasted.

Toilets fitted with the Saver-Siphon only flush when the handle is held down – cutting water consumption by about half.

For houses with water meters, the Saver-Siphon has the potential to cut household water bills by about 20% and save people about £67 a year.

Mr Wilks, a former science teacher from Mirfield, said: “Water is the most precious resource we have and water companies are the largest single users of energy.

“Toilet flushing accounts for more than one third of a household’s water use, so there is clearly massive potential to deliver major environmental benefits if we can find a way to reduce the amount of water we use when we flush.

“With this investment from CO2Sense, I hope to realise the true potential of the Saver-Siphon. No other system can flush a toilet with less water.”

Mr Wilks said the device could be easily installed to a wide range of toilets, preventing the wasteful emptying of the full toilet cistern every time the user flushes.

The investment provided by CO2Sense means the Saver-Siphon will now have the potential to become an integral part of all new siphon-based toilet systems or to easily replace broken siphons in existing toilets.

CO2Sense project manager Steve Ogden said: “The Saver-Siphon has the potential to have the biggest impact on domestic water saving of any new piece of technology in 150 years.

“CO2Sense has invested in David’s company, Varyflush, to help it take the device to the mass market.

“A major retailer is already interested in selling it and our investment has been matched by a manufacturer based in West Yorkshire, Zeta Plastic Components, who have taken an equity stake in the business.

“Zeta will make the new full siphon, which can be used on a much wider range of toilets, including new ones. Funding from CO2Sense will pay for design and testing, developing the manufacturing and distribution processes.”

Varyflush aims to sell 175,000 of the new-design Saver-Siphon devices in the next three years.

CO2Sense Yorkshire said this could save 4.5bn litres of water – enough to fill 18,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools – and cut CO2 emissions by 4,360 tonnes.