For some visitors to this site, the following may be a bit difficult to read. However, we should keep in mind that the conditions described here are quite common around the world.
In many parts of India, school restrooms do not have urinals. Instead, the restrooms typically have a blank wall. Boys are expected to urinate against the wall.
Further, they are expected to then fetch a bucket of water and toss it against the wall. The problem is that all too often, there is no bucket, and even if there is, the water source may not be working.
Complicating issues, many schools in India do not have custodial workers and, if they do, cleaning is very infrequent. The result: boys’ restrooms throughout many parts of the country are dirty, smelly, and very unsanitary.
This situation is causing another problem. Sanitation is always a big concern in India, and the recent COVID outbreak has made it even worse. Teachers and parents believe the unsanitary restrooms are causing boys to grow up with little concern about proper hygiene and cleanliness. This may lead to even more public health problems in the future.
Until recently, addressing this challenge has proven difficult and very costly. To install traditional, water-using urinals in schools throughout India would cost millions of dollars and prove to be a major undertaking. Furthermore, water is not always available when needed. Even in the best conditions, water delivery can be intermittent, but during droughts, water delivery may be turned off for hours at a time. If water-using urinals were installed, they would likely make the restrooms even more smelly and unhealthy as waste accumulates in them.
However, a solution has materialized, to help promote proper hygiene, keep boys’ restrooms cleaner and healthier, and change behaviors so that boys value sanitation—the savior: waterless urinals.
Waterless urinals are being installed in schools throughout the country. Because they are waterless, no water must be delivered to the urinal, eliminating that need and that cost. As the urinals are used, urine is drained into sewer pipes that are already hooked up to the schools.
Students are also participating in the installation of waterless urinals in their schools. This helps reduce the costs of installation, and their involvement also gives the boys a sense of ownership, not only for the urinals but the entire restroom.
Teachers and parents believe this is also helping to change behaviors. Boys are more focused on health and protecting health. With all these advantages, some are now wondering why no one thought of installing waterless urinals earlier.
