Five Essential Steps for Cleaning Waterless Urinals

1. Know Your Trap Type: The cylinder or cartridge at the bottom of the urinal (often called an eco-trap or membrane trap) keeps sewer gases from entering the restroom. Different brands use different trap technologies, and each has its own replacement schedule and chemical sensitivities.

2. Use Neutral Cleaners: Avoid high-pH or harsh chemical cleaners, which can ruin the sealant inside the traps. Instead, use a neutral, all-purpose cleaner to protect the cartridge and prevent odors.

3. Spray Down, Wipe Up: When cleaning, spray the disinfectant from the top down, but wipe from the bottom up. This prevents excess liquid and dirty water from pooling and draining into the cartridge, which can wash away the protective sealant.

4. Spray the Cloth, Not the Fixture: When applying disinfectant, spray it directly onto a microfiber cloth rather than soaking the urinal itself. This keeps excess liquid from dripping into the cylinder. Always use a dedicated microfiber cloth, never paper towels or cloths used on toilets and counters.

5. Replace Cartridges on Schedule: Don't wait for odors to appear before changing the cartridges. Depending on the manufacturer and how much foot traffic your restroom gets, you should replace the cylinders every 2 to 6 months.

Water Efficiency Isn’t Just Technology—It’s Behavior

Image by Edgar Arroyo found on Prexels

Advances in water-efficient technology over the past two decades have been significant.

From drought-resistant crops to high-efficiency appliances and waterless systems, innovation has helped reduce water use across agriculture, residential, and commercial sectors. These improvements are critical as utilities and communities face growing pressure from climate change, population growth, and aging water infrastructure.

But there is a persistent gap in how we approach water conservation.

Technology alone does not guarantee lower water use.

The Rebound Effect in Water Use

One of the most overlooked challenges in water efficiency is the rebound effect—when efficiency gains lead to increased consumption.

For example, users may take longer showers when using low-flow fixtures because they perceive them as “saving water.” The result is that expected water savings are partially—or completely—erased.

This dynamic highlights a key issue in water demand management: human behavior can undermine even the most advanced technologies.

Water Efficiency Requires Behavior Change

To achieve sustained reductions in water use, utilities and policymakers must adopt a two-part strategy:

• Implement water-efficient technologies that permanently reduce water consumption

• Influence user behavior through targeted interventions

A perfect example of the first strategy is transferring to waterless urinals.  They use no water, do not need water to work effectively, and save thousands of gallons of water day after day.

The second, behavior change, can best be explained in the case study below.

Case Study: Behavioral Nudges in Belen, Costa Rica

A widely cited example of behavior-based water conservation comes from Belen, Costa Rica—a community facing increasing water stress due to climate change and infrastructure leakage.

Despite awareness campaigns, residents believed they were already conserving water. At the same time:

• Most did not understand their actual water consumption

• Water bills were difficult to interpret

• There was no visibility into how their usage compared to others

This is a common challenge across many utilities in North America as well.

Low-Cost Interventions, Measurable Results

To address these issues, local officials redesigned water bills and introduced behavioral nudges:

• Red indicators signaled above-average water use

• Green indicators reinforced efficient behavior

• Social comparison provided context relative to neighbors

• Goal-setting prompts encouraged residents to commit to reducing water use

Over an eight-month period:

• Households receiving peer comparison feedback reduced water use by 1.5%

• Those who also committed to specific goals reduced usage by nearly 2%

These results demonstrate how small, low-cost interventions can deliver measurable improvements in water conservation.

Why This Matters for Water Utilities

For water professionals, this case reinforces an important principle:

Behavior is a critical component of water infrastructure performance.

Utilities often invest heavily in physical systems but underutilize behavioral tools such as:

• Usage feedback and benchmarking

• Simplified, transparent billing

• Social norm messaging

• Customer engagement strategies

These approaches are inexpensive, scalable, and highly effective in reducing water demand.

The Path Forward

As water scarcity intensifies across regions in the U.S. and Canada, integrating behavioral science into water conservation strategies will become increasingly important.

Efficiency is not just about better fixtures or systems—it is about how people use them.

And in many cases, a well-designed nudge can achieve what technology alone cannot.

-Klaus

How to Design Effective Water Efficiency Messaging

Image by Pixabay found in Prexels

As climate change accelerates droughts and threatens local water security, building owners, facility managers, and public health officials face a growing challenge: how to inspire meaningful, long-term water efficiency and conservation.

While infrastructure upgrades are vital, human behavior remains a critical piece of the puzzle. The right communication strategy can drastically reduce water waste, but a poorly designed campaign can easily backfire.

Here is a breakdown of which water conservation messaging strategies deliver results, which ones miss the mark, and the science behind why they succeed or fail.

1. The Pitfalls of Punitive Messaging (Warnings)

When designing a sustainability campaign, the natural instinct might be to issue strict warnings or highlight the penalties of wasting water. However, threat-based and punitive messaging rarely works over the long term.

• The Psychological Backlash: Warning tenants or employees about fines, restrictions, or reprimands often triggers defensiveness. Instead of cooperating, people may ignore the warnings, resent the management, or even engage in "reactant behavior"—doing the exact opposite of what is requested.

• The Motivation Gap: Negative framing makes occupants feel criticized rather than empowered. Psychologically, people want to view themselves as active contributors to the social good. When messaging focuses entirely on punishment, it strips away their internal motivation to do the right thing.

2. Visceral Imagery (Using Fear Responsibly)

"Fear-based" messaging has a place in environmental communication, but only if it is used to highlight collective risk rather than individual blame.

• Show, Don't Scold: Instead of threatening occupants, effective campaigns use stark, visual contrasts to illustrate the stakes. Showing a thriving local ecosystem side-by-side with a dried-up reservoir or a dry riverbed triggers an immediate emotional response.

• The Cape Town Example: During South Africa's severe "Day Zero" water crisis, some of the most impactful public service announcements didn't lecture the public. Instead, they featured striking photos of dry lakebeds and fish skeletons.

• The Catch: Emotional urgency is excellent for jumpstarting behavior change, but its impact naturally fades over time. To maintain momentum, a high-stakes visual campaign must be paired with practical, day-to-day solutions.

3. Evidence-Based Communication (The Power of Facts)

An educational, data-driven approach appeals to logic. By presenting clear, digestible metrics, you can prove to occupants that their conservation efforts are both necessary and impactful.

• Contextualize the Problem: A successful fact-based campaign explains the why behind the crisis. For example, during their drought recovery, Cape Town officials released an educational video detailing how record-setting rainfall in 2013 gave way to years of historic dry spells, cutting local reservoir levels in half.

• Keep it Visual: Numbers on a page won't change minds. For commercial buildings or multifamily properties, translate abstract data into memorable visuals. Instead of listing gallons saved, show how those savings equate to filled swimming pools or daily household usage.

4. Engagement Through Humor (The Power of Fun)

Many marketing experts refer to humor as the ultimate secret weapon in public relations. With digital fatigue at an all-time high, you have only a few seconds to capture an audience's attention. Playful, high-energy campaigns can break through the noise.

• Creative Campaigns in Action: During a historic California drought, the city of Santa Monica launched lighthearted initiatives to keep conservation top-of-mind. This included a playful "Doggie Dishwasher Contest" (joking about pets licking plates clean to save water) and viral-style videos of residents showering fully clothed to wash their laundry at the same time.

• Maximizing Reach: While facility managers don't need to go to extremes, integrating lighthearted trivia, gamified challenges, or friendly department competitions can make sustainability feel like a community effort rather than a chore.

Why Facility Managers Are on the Front Lines of Conservation

For decades, clean tap water in the United States has been readily available and heavily subsidized. Because of this, generations of consumers have never had to actively think about their daily water footprint.

But the landscape is shifting. Population growth is driving up demand, aging infrastructure is driving up utility costs, and unpredictable weather patterns are disrupting municipal supplies.

By utilizing a strategic blend of emotional visuals, hard facts, and engaging campaigns, building managers can drive real behavior change in the workplace—encouraging habits that occupants will ultimately carry home with them into the wider community.

-Klaus

Are waterless urinals really easy to clean? 🛠️

It’s one of the most frequent questions facility managers and cleaning pros ask.

The short answer: Yes. In fact, they usually take just a few minutes per fixture.

If you are looking to slash water bills and reduce plumbing service calls, keeping waterless urinals running efficiently boils down to just two simple tasks:

1️⃣ Refilling the Sealing Liquid: Adding ~3 oz of BlueSeal® takes about 20 seconds. You don't need to do this daily; frequency depends entirely on foot traffic. (For example, a restroom with up to 75 daily users only needs a refill about once a month).

2️⃣ Replacing the Cartridge: Swap out the EcoTrap® cartridge as needed to ensure proper drainage and complete odor control.

What about daily cleaning? It’s just like a traditional fixture, with one rule: swap abrasive scrubbers for a soft cloth and a non-abrasive cleaner. For an even faster turnaround, you can spray a specialized cleaner like Nviro-Clean™ and leave it—no scrubbing required.

Minimal maintenance, lower operating costs, and major water savings.

👇 Facility managers and cleaning pros, here are more sweet and easy urinal cleaning tips here:

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-much-maintenance-do-waterless-urinals-require-reichardt--vkyec

Waterless Urinals Save Much More than Water

Rethinking Restroom Operations: The Business Case for Waterless Urinals

For facility managers overseeing high-traffic commercial and institutional buildings, managing water costs and reducing maintenance headaches are constant priorities.

While efficient flush systems help, waterless urinals offer a different approach by removing both water demand and several common maintenance variables entirely.

Here is why more facility teams are evaluating them as a practical, high-impact upgrade:

🚀 1. Retrofit-Friendly Installation

Ease of installation is often a deciding factor when upgrading existing infrastructure. Waterless urinals are designed to work smoothly within existing layouts:

• Plug-and-Play: Compatible with standard 2-inch waste lines (and adaptable to 1.5-inch lines with a reducer).

• Minimal Scope: No need for water supply lines, flush valves, sensors, or electrical connections. This makes them an excellent fit for retrofits where minimizing construction downtime is critical.

🛠️ 2. Fewer Moving Parts = Fewer Failure Points

Traditional urinals rely on a network of valves, sensors, and supply lines—all of which introduce potential failure points. By eliminating these components, you eliminate the risks:

• No flush valves to repair or replace.

• No sensors or handles to malfunction.

• No leaks tied to pressurized supply lines. For facility teams, this directly translates into fewer emergency service calls and reduced reactive maintenance.

👃 3. Predictable Odor Control & Maintenance

Instead of a traditional water-filled trap, waterless systems use a replaceable cartridge system containing a sealing liquid. This liquid forms a strict barrier that prevents sewer gases and odors from escaping.

Adopting these systems doesn't add complexity; it just shifts the routine:

• Daily cleaning is highly similar to conventional fixtures.

• Cartridge replacement becomes a planned, predictable task tied to usage volume.

• The absence of flush water can actually reduce scale buildup and uric acid blockages in drain lines.

📈 Where Do They Deliver the Most Value?

Waterless urinals aren't a universal fix, but they thrive in:

• High-traffic environments where frequent flushing drives up water and sewer costs.

• Facilities with aging infrastructure prone to leaks.

• Buildings pursuing strict water reduction targets or green certifications (like LEED).

🔍 The Bottom Line

Operational fit matters. Success with waterless urinals comes down to aligning them with your existing maintenance workflows and ensuring staff familiarity with cartridge schedules. When those factors click, they serve as a low-complexity, high-impact asset within a broader facilities strategy.

Survey finds Why Facility Managers are Switching to Waterless Urinals—and it’s not just about water

Image by Kampus found on Prexels

A survey of facility managers across Southern California and Arizona this year asked a simple question: Why choose waterless urinals over conventional ones?

The answers point to a broader shift in how the industry thinks about this fixture.

Top motivators:
💧 Water savings and lower utility bills — no surprise, given that water rates have jumped 20–60% in Southern California and up to 50% in Arizona

🔧 Lower maintenance demands

👃 Better odor control

🖐️ Touchless hygiene

🏗️ Easier installation

📉 Less staff training required

🛡️ Reduced vandalism
 
Why it matters
Rising water and sewer costs. Drought concerns. Sustainability targets. Maintenance challenges.

Waterless urinals sit at the intersection of all four, which is why they are showing up more often in schools, airports, offices, and other high-traffic public buildings.

The bigger takeaway: waterless urinals are no longer just a “green building” checkbox. They are becoming a practical response to real operating costs.

For facility managers, especially those in water-stressed regions, these are compelling reasons to consider waterless urinals.

The Urinal Showdown Nobody Saw Coming

The final bell rings, kids sprint toward summer, and a different crew steps into the spotlight: school maintenance teams, gearing up for their busiest stretch of the year.

For a few weeks, the quiet hallways trade the sound of chatter and chairs for hammers, drills, and the low hum of renovation season. And in the break room? One topic keeps stealing the spotlight:

The Topic that Steals the Spotlight

The final bell rings, kids sprint toward summer, and a different crew steps into the spotlight: school maintenance teams, gearing up for their busiest stretch of the year.

For a few weeks, the quiet hallways trade the sound of chatter and chairs for hammers, drills, and the low hum of renovation season. And in the break room? One topic keeps stealing the spotlight:

The Technology Showstoppers

🚹 Waterless urinals are the real technological showstoppers — each one capable of saving up to 35,000 gallons of water annually. That's enough to fill two standard-sized swimming pools. 🏊‍♂️🏊‍♂️

And the perks don't stop at water savings. These fixtures also mean fewer valve repairs, less vandalism, and — here's the part everyone in the break room cares about — serious savings. 💰

Schools that make the switch can expect to save somewhere in the range of $10,000 to $15,000 annually in water-related expenses. That's real budget that could go toward classrooms, programs, or anything else on a school's wish list.

So, while the playgrounds sit empty under the summer sun, here's hoping maintenance crews finally pull the trigger and decide to #gowaterless.

And when they do? Let's give credit where it's due. That's a team taking a real step toward protecting the planet — and saving their school some serious money along the way. 🎆💵

Mastering Commercial Water Management: A Strategic Guide for Facilities

Achieving sustainable operations begins with a unified corporate commitment to resource management. For businesses and commercial facility managers, true sustainability requires shifting focus toward long-term water efficiency. Unlike temporary reductions, true efficiency is realized by integrating advanced, modern water-saving technologies into daily operations.

Beyond lowering utility costs, establishing a culture of water efficiency and conservation program ripples through an entire organization. It strengthens environmental stewardship, enhances corporate identity, and frequently uncovers hidden operational efficiencies that streamline overall building management.

The Foundation: Conducting a Facility Water Audit

You cannot manage what you do not measure. Developing a successful commercial water management plan requires a comprehensive building water audit. This process evaluates exactly how and where water is consumed throughout your property to pinpoint areas of waste and opportunity.

While smaller properties might attempt an initial assessment internally, larger or more complex facilities benefit significantly from hiring professional energy and water auditors.

Key Phases of a Commercial Water Audit:

• Scope Definition: Explicitly mapping out which zones of the property will be analyzed (e.g., HVAC systems, restrooms, landscaped areas) and which will be excluded.

• Data Aggregation: Gathering historical consumption records. Analysts typically require a minimum of 24 months of water utility bills to establish an accurate baseline that accounts for seasonal fluctuations.

• Trend Analysis: Evaluating utility data to uncover usage patterns. Facilities utilizing localized submeters can isolate consumption data by specific departments or equipment types.

• Opportunity Identification: Identifying specific operational changes or equipment retrofits that offer the highest return on investment (ROI).

• Action Plan Creation: Formulating a structured water management policy to systematically implement the audit’s findings.

Important Note: A water audit is not a one-time event. Properties should repeat this assessment every two to three years. Critical mechanical infrastructure—such as cooling towers and commercial boilers—can degrade over time. A sudden, unexplained spike in their water consumption is often an early warning sign of impending mechanical failure.

Organizing Action Items: The Four-Bucket Strategy

A comprehensive audit usually uncovers dozens of ways to reduce consumption. To prevent project paralysis, facility managers can categorize these tasks into a practical, four-tiered priority framework:

1. Immediate Mandates

High-priority emergencies requiring instant intervention.

Repairing a major, hidden plumbing leak that is actively driving up utility costs.

2. Short-Term Gains

Low-cost, "low-hanging fruit" retrofits yielding fast returns.

Installing aerators or addressing minor maintenance tasks within six months of the audit.

3. Capital Improvements

Mid-to-high-cost upgrades aligned with scheduled renovations.

Upgrading to low-flow or waterless restroom fixtures during a planned facility remodel.

4. Long-Term Infrastructure

Major capital expenditures managed via lifecycle planning.

Replacing aging roof chillers every 7–10 years to prevent emergency breakdowns and costly expedited orders.

High-Impact Water-Saving Technologies

Once your action plan is structured, the next step is deploying modern solutions engineered to minimize resource waste. Consider integrating the following innovations:

Modern Restroom Fixtures

Restrooms represent the highest percentage of indoor water use in standard commercial buildings. Upgrading to high-efficiency fixtures is critical:

• Ultra-Low-Flush Toilets: Modern commercial toilets use roughly 1.3 gallons per flush (GPF), performing well below the federal maximum mandate of 1.6 GPF.

• Waterless Urinals: An increasing number of jurisdictions are mirroring strict conservation laws like Arizona's, mandates that require or heavily incentivize no-water urinals in new construction and retrofits to drastically lower utility and installation expenses.

• Automated Sensor Faucets: Reliable touchless sensors eliminate user negligence by ensuring water flows only when actively needed.

Greywater Reclamation Systems

Commercial properties are moving away from the traditional, linear model of intake and drainage. Greywater systems capture non-potable, non-toxic discharge—such as water from handwashing sinks, drinking fountains, and gym showers—treat it on-site, and repurpose it for landscape irrigation or toilet flushing. As technology costs decline, these recycling systems offer increasingly attractive payback periods.

Advanced Infrastructure Monitoring

• Comprehensive Submetering: Installing submeters across different building zones allows management to track localized usage spikes and rapidly isolate plumbing issues before they escalate.

• Intelligent Leak Detection Platforms: These automated networks utilize digital sensors and smart monitoring software tied directly to automatic shut-off valves, alerting facility teams in real time the moment an anomaly occurs.

• Smart Irrigation Controllers: Outside the building, smart controllers leverage live weather feeds and soil moisture data to eliminate wasteful overwatering during rain events.

The Long-Term Return on Investment

Implementing a data-driven commercial water management plan delivers advantages that extend far beyond lower utility bills. Because moving and heating water requires substantial electricity, reducing your facility's water footprint directly drives down energy consumption.

Furthermore, proactively adopting sustainable building practices strengthens your brand reputation. Modern consumers, clients, and stakeholders favor organizations that demonstrate verifiable environmental responsibility, making water efficiency a powerful competitive advantage in today's market.

Klaus Reichardt is CEO and founder of Waterless Co, Inc., a pioneer in advancing water efficiency. Reichardt founded the company in 1991 with the goal of establishing a new market segment in the plumbing fixture industry with water efficiency in mind. Reichardt is a frequent writer and presenter. He can be reached at klaus@waterless.com

Waterless Urinal Maintenance Made Simple: Keep Performance High in Just Minutes

waterless urinals is, "How much maintenance do they require?"

The answer often surprises them.

Waterless urinals from Waterless Co., Inc are designed to be simple, dependable, and inexpensive to maintain. In fact, routine maintenance typically takes only a few minutes per fixture and requires far less attention than many people expect.

With a straightforward maintenance routine, facilities can enjoy years of odor-free operation while saving money along with thousands of gallons of water annually.

The Secret to Consistent Performance

Our waterless urinals rely on two key maintenance tasks:

• Refilling the BlueSeal® sealing liquid

• Replacing the EcoTrap® cartridge when necessary

When performed at the recommended intervals, these simple procedures help maintain proper drainage, prevent odors, and maximize the life of the plumbing system.

BlueSeal® Refills: A 20-Second Maintenance Task

BlueSeal® creates the protective liquid barrier that allows urine to pass into the drain while preventing sewer gases from traveling back into the restroom.

Adding the sealing liquid couldn't be easier.

Simply measure approximately three ounces of BlueSeal® using the PortionAid®, then pour it directly into the EcoTrap® near the back of the urinal. The entire process takes about 20 seconds.

Contrary to a common misconception, BlueSeal® does not need to be added every day. Instead, every few weeks to months, depending on restroom traffic.

Typical refill intervals include:

• 1–75 users per day: About once per month

• 76–150 users: Twice per month

• 151–225 users: Three times per month

• 226–300 users: Approximately once per week

Following these guidelines helps maintain an effective seal while minimizing maintenance costs.

Proper Cleaning Is Equally Important

Cleaning waterless urinals is much like cleaning conventional urinals—with one crucial difference.

Avoid using abrasive cleaners or harsh scrubbing compounds.

Instead:

• Remove any debris from the bowl.

• Use a non-abrasive cleaner and a soft sponge or cloth.

• Wipe all interior and exterior surfaces clean, paying special attention to the lower front of the fixture.

• Dry the surfaces with a soft cloth, primarily to remove chemical residue.

Facilities using our Nviro-Clean™ can simplify the process even further by spraying the cleaner on the urinal surface and allowing it to work without scrubbing. The cleaner should be applied once or twice daily, depending on restroom traffic.

When Should the EcoTrap® Be Replaced?

The EcoTrap® cartridge does not require frequent replacement.

Instead, replace it only when needed—typically if urine begins draining slowly or pooling in the fixture.

Replacement frequency depends on usage:

• 1–30 users per day: About once per year

• 31–60 users: Twice per year

• 61–90 users: Three times per year

• 91–120 users: Four times per year

Even cartridge replacement is straightforward, typically taking only three to four minutes.

The process includes removing the existing cartridge with the included X-Traptor® tool, flushing the drain with approximately five gallons of hot water to remove accumulated sediment, installing a new EcoTrap®, and adding three ounces of BlueSeal®.

Why Maintenance Matters

Routine maintenance provides benefits far beyond odor control.

Properly maintained waterless urinals can help:

• Prevent sewer gas odors

• Maintain fast drainage

• Extend plumbing system performance

• Reduce service calls

• Lower operating costs

• Maximize long-term water savings

Most importantly, consistent maintenance helps ensure occupants experience a clean, fresh restroom, something every facility manager values.

A Small Investment That Delivers Big Returns

Many organizations initially assume waterless urinals require specialized or time-consuming maintenance.

The reality is quite the opposite.

With BlueSeal® refills taking about 20 seconds and EcoTrap® replacement requiring only a few minutes a few times per year, maintenance is remarkably simple. When combined with significant water savings, reduced utility costs, and dependable odor control, waterless urinals continue to be one of the easiest sustainability upgrades a facility can make.

By following a consistent maintenance schedule, facility managers can keep their waterless urinals operating efficiently for years while enjoying the environmental and financial benefits that made them an attractive investment in the first place.