When building restrooms are being renovated, we see many managers and their architects select water-using urinals more out of habit than anything else.  Very often, the urinals selected are not even given much consideration.  Because urinals are often treated as a commodity, the only consideration is cost – meaning the lowest priced urinals are the ones selected.

We are encouraging managers to think outside the box and consider installing waterless urinals. Here are some reasons why.

They don’t need water.  Urine is 95 percent water.  It flows down on its own in the urinal due to gravity.  No extra water is needed to force it down the drain.

They don’t cause odors.  The odor we often find in restrooms is caused by ammonia. What causes this odor?  It’s caused when water is mixed with urine. So, no mixing with water means no odors.

Flush avoidance is becoming commonplace. Many men do not like to flush urinals because they don’t want to touch the flush handle.  But that just leaves an unsanitary mess for everyone else.  Again, waterless urinals have no flush handles and leave no unsanitary mess.

Electronic flush devices.  These devices have helped address this situation, however, most of these are battery operated.  In a busy restroom, this means the battery will likely have to be changed as often as once per month.  Plus, many electronic flush urinals waste a lot of water. Phantom flushes are common, in which the urinals flush on their own when no one is present.

Hard water. Some areas of the country have “hard water.” The problem with hard water in urinals is that it can leave sediment deposits on the sides of the urinal.  The more this builds up, the harder it is to remove. Plus, this build-up can impact drainage lines, which can require servicing by a plumber.

Cost of ownership. The true costs of flush urinals often happen after they are installed.  The flush handles we just mentioned, whether manual or battery-operated, frequently need servicing. Sometimes the only option is to replace them, and these tend to be very costly devices.  Further, the thousands of gallons of water each urinal uses each year is costly, adding to operating budgets.

Good stewards. Finally, installing waterless urinals indicates your facility is sustainability focused.  Many facilities install no-water urinals for the sole purpose of earning LEED certification.  That’s how important they are when it comes to sustainability.  Plus, installing waterless urinals shows you are doing your part to be a responsible world citizen.  We must all work together now to use natural resources as efficiently as possible.