A Texas school district was considering installing waterless urinals in their schools. Before making any decisions, they hired a local engineering firm to review the advantages and disadvantages of installing these urinals.
Here is what the engineering company reported:
Advantages
Water Savings. Billions of gallons of water are used daily in the U.S. to flush toilets and urinals. Newer urinals use about one gallon of water per flush have been introduced. However, this still adds to the billions of gallons of water flushed into sewers from restrooms each day. Plus, many schools still have older urinals installed that use as much as three to five gallons of water per flush. Replacing these urinals with waterless urinals that use no water can save billions of gallons of water annually.
Low Maintenance. The report indicates that some no-water urinal manufacturers report drain lines from waterless urinals are less susceptible to clogging because there is no mixture of water and urine, which causes encrustation in pipes that can lead to clogging. Further, because they have no flush valves, there are no valve tampering or repair issues, a big concern in schools and restaurants. The report does suggest "occasional flushing with a few gallons of water" to keep the drain lines clean.
Improved Hygiene. The conventional urinals' water gives germs the environment they need to grow. Because the waterless urinal stays dry between uses, it becomes an inhospitable environment for bacteria and viruses to grow. (Note: This became one of the key selling points of waterless urinals during the pandemic because the pathogen that causes COVID is found in urine and can become airborne and inhaled with urinal use). Also, because there is no flush handle, there is no need to touch the urinal, reducing the spread of communicable diseases.
Environmentally Friendly. There are several ways waterless urinals contribute positively to the environment. First, they use no water, saving billions of gallons per year. They also reduce the amount of water delivered, removed, and treated as wastewater. This saves energy. Cities need massive amounts of energy to pump, deliver, and treat wastewater. Further, they can help facilities earn LEED credits due to water reduction.
Disadvantages
Retrofits. While most waterless urinals are designed with the same footprint as traditional urinals, it still is necessary to cap the water supply lines that feed the urinals they are replacing. Plus, some remodeling may be required to lower the drain lines to bring the waterless urinals to proper mounting heights. But this is not true in most cases and typically depends on the type of waterless urinal selected.
Rebates: At this time, not all water districts offer tax rebates for waterless urinals even though they may do so for high-efficient toilets. However, as water rates keep climbing and more areas of the country are impacted by drought conditions, they may offer rebates to help encourage and reduce consumption along with consumer costs.
Report Conclusion:
Waterless urinals offer a viable alternative to conventional flush-type urinals. Potential advantages – improved hygiene, water savings, reduced maintenance, and environmental friendliness – warrant this conclusion.
Further, they determined:
Widespread use of waterless urinals can produce a domino effect of conservation. Since no water is required, water utilities will not need to treat and pump as much water. Also, the absence of flushing means less wastewater is generated, requiring treatment. Smaller quantities of water pumped leads to energy savings. Therefore, water is conserved, as are resources needed to generate electricity.
