With little fanfare, medical facilities around the world are finding different ways to go waterless. We see this happening most significantly in countries such as India, but it is also happening in the Middle East as well as parts of Asia, including China.

Yes, one of the ways these facilities are going waterless is by installing no-water urinals. They have been doing this for years. But what we are seeing today is that many healthcare facilities are finding ways to reduce or eliminate water consumption when it comes to personal hygiene, specifically for the patients in these facilities.

Recently new waterless body baths and shampoos have been introduced that are proving not only effective at maintaining personal hygiene, but meeting with considerable patient approval as well. They are also becoming commonplace among the armed forces in many parts of the world. Very often, troops are stationed in areas that are water-scarce or in areas of extreme cold. Waterless body baths and shampoos are perfect in these areas.

Further, they are being used on military ships and especially on submarines, that can only carry so much water. The less water used, the longer the submarine can stay out at sea.

Schools are going waterless when it comes to personal hygiene as well. In India, 1.4 million schools serving more than 140 million children are providing waterless hygiene products for students. Many of these children do not have regular access to water for bathing, and in those cases where they do, the cost of water makes using the water for bathing prohibitive.

The question now is if we will see more waterless personal hygiene products in the U.S. and other parts of the world where water scarcity is not as big an issue. Well, that question has already been answered. Many medical facilities, for instance, now offer patients what they call "rinse less" body wash products and shampoos. These products are proving to provide a number of benefits. Not only are they helping to reduce water consumption, but they are making it far easier to promote personal hygiene among patients that are bed bound.

What this points to is one more example of how water-related challenges are being addressed with new products and technologies. We see this over and over again. From the introduction of waterless urinals in the U.S. more than 25 years ago, to waterless personal hygiene products, the march of water reducing technologies continues moving forward.

 For more information on how to reduce water consumption, waterless urinals, and to use water more efficiently, contact a Waterless Co Specialist