At a large Atlanta architectural firm, the company cars are all electric. The office paper is 100 percent recycled, and both sides of copy paper are always used before discarding. Styrofoam cups are never used—only ceramic coffee mugs—and all cleaning supplies are Green-certified.  

A walk through the firm's men's restrooms reveals more of the company's "Green Operations Plan," as they call it. Not only are water-saving toilets installed, but all the urinals are waterless. Since the firm went "Green" four years ago, it is estimated that they have saved more than 300,000 gallons of water using these new restroom technologies.  

According to a study by Texas A&M University, billions of gallons of water—as much as 20 percent of all the water used annually in the U.S.—are used just to flush toilets and urinals. Just so we are on the same page, just one conventional urinal can use as much as 35,000 gallons of water per year.  

The consequences of this water usage include: ·      

• The consumption of vast natural resources

•  The construction of newer, larger, and more costly sewer treatment centers

• ·The need for more energy and electricity to transmit these huge volumes of potable water to and from facilities.  

In California alone, at least 20 percent of the state's electrical power is used just for transporting water.

For these reasons, let’s take a closer look at why the Atlanta company installed waterless urinals and how they can prove beneficial for your facility.

Why Waterless Urinals

Waterless, aka no-flush urinal systems have been around for more than one hundred years. First found in Europe, they garnered little attention in the U.S. until the ecology movement of the 1970s.  

Interest has increased over the past 25 years as more facilities aim to operate in a more environmentally responsible manner and, more recently, because of LEED® certification. Installing waterless urinals can help earn water conservation points. 

Waterless urinals, which are manufactured by four or five different companies in the U.S. and Europe, look like conventional urinals but lack flush valves and the plumbing typically found on traditional urinals.

Instead of using water to flush away urine, gravity drains the urine into a trap or cylinder that sits atop the drain area of the urinal. This cylinder is filled with a thin layer of liquid sealant that prevents odors from escaping into the air. As the urinal is used, urine overflows into a drainpipe in much the same way as a traditional urinal.

In addition to water and electrical savings, waterless urinals offer other advantages, such as:  

- Lower installation and plumbing costs because water lines to each urinal are unnecessary.

- No need for flush valves or sensors.

- Faster and easier installation compared to conventional urinals.

- No pooling of water at the base of the urinal, which can harbor germs and bacteria

- Reduced bacteria growth as the urinal stays drier than a conventional urinal.

 However, building owners and managers should thoroughly investigate the different waterless systems available before making a selection.

For example, the cylinders on some systems require more frequent changes than others. The costs for these cylinders can range from just a few dollars to more than $50 per cylinder. This offsets the financial savings a facility hoped to achieve by going waterless.

To avoid this, study the different types of no-water urinals available, and then go one step further. Contact a local distributor or the manufacturer of waterless urinals, discuss your needs, and let them advice you on what directions to take.

-Klaus