Drains and SARS

Seven months into the COVID-19 crisis and we have begun hearing the same claims all the time:

·       The coronavirus "has changed everything."

·       We are living in a "new normal."

·       There will be more "new normals" in the future.

Accepting these statements as true, let us start this article a bit differently. Most of us remember that in high school and college we would read an article first and then answer questions about it later.

Let us turn things upside down. This time let's start with the questions and then read the article. If we are good readers, we may learn how SARS spread in Hong Kong 13 years ago and how this might apply today to COVID.

Here are some true/false questions to test your knowledge:

The SARS virus is like other flu viruses.

True

False

SARS and the coronavirus that causes COVID die very quickly when airborne.

True 

False

Plumbing problems played a crucial role in the 2003 SARS outbreak.

True

False

Plumbing problems could play a role in the 2020 COVID.

True 

False

A U-trap prevents sewer gases from being released into a facility.

True

False

Today's U-traps are maintenance-free.

True

False

It is possible that the SARS pandemic was preventable.

True

False

Now, our discussion.

In March 2003, a 33-year-old doctor visited his brother, who lived in the Amoy Gardens complex in Hong Kong. This is a massive complex of 19 apartment buildings, all 33 stories high, housing approximately 15,000 residents.  

Shortly after visiting with his brother in Unit 7 on the 16th floor, the doctor developed flu-like symptoms that worsened. Soon after that, his brother and sister-in-law also developed these flu-like symptoms.

The health of all three people became increasingly worse. The doctor soon died with what was later named severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS.

SARS is a highly contagious respiratory illness. Along with causing classic—but much more severe—flu-like symptoms, it can also result in death. 

By April 2003, one month after the first known case, there were 321 cases of SARS in the Amoy Gardens. The virus dissipated a year later, mainly because China insisted on mask-wearing, social distancing, and forced quarantining. But in its wake, 8,098 people were infected, and 774 people died of the disease. 

SARS is caused by a coronavirus (CoV) similar in structure to the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Another similarity: Both viruses initially occurred in animals and then spread to humans. And, of course, both are highly contagious. 

One reason they are so contagious is that pathogens from both viruses can become airborne, where they can remain for a few minutes to a few hours, allowing them to be inhaled.1 This is now considered the primary way that COVID-19 is spread. 

Taking a Closer Look at Risers

Every building has risers. These are supply lines, usually made of copper, metal, or plastic, that deliver water to and from water-using fixtures like sinks, toilets, urinals, and showers.  

Each fixture is fitted with a U-shaped water trap, commonly known as a U-trap or P-trap. The primary purpose of these traps is to prevent sewer gases from being released into the facility. 

They have not changed much for decades and are found in facilities around the globe. When filled with water, they function properly, blocking sewer and other gases from being released into the facility.  

However, in Block E of the Amoy Gardens apartments, the water in many of these traps had evaporated. This provided a direct opening to the sewer below. Sewer gases, including gases from infected stool in the waste pipe, were then released into the apartments.

It was later learned that the pathogen that causes SARS was in these gases. As they were inhaled, residents contracted the disease.

Why This Happened

Water frequently flows through toilets, sinks, and bathtub drains. As a result, the U-traps for these fixtures work properly because they remain filled with water.  

However, each bathroom in the Amoy apartments also had a floor drain installed. Residents told public health investigators that they regularly mopped the bathroom floors, but apparently the mopping did not generate enough water flow to fill the U-traps below.

It was also later uncovered that many residents stored items directly over these floor drains. This prevented any water from draining down the pipe and filling the U-trap.

The dry U-trap allowed the infected gases to be released into the apartments. Making matters worse, investigators reported the following:

"Amoy residents installed window-mounted exhaust fans in most bathrooms. The type and size of the exhaust fan were not, however, dictated by building management. The bathrooms were small (less than 50 square feet each) and, according to WHO, many residents had installed high-powered fans with capacities 6 to 10 times higher than the capacity that would be required for such a small space."2

What this tells us is that not only were sewer gases containing the pathogen that causes SARS being released into the air, but they were being pulled into the air by the fans.

Could This Happen With COVID?

In March 2020, professors from Montana State University's microbiology and immunology department were asked to test the wastewater in Bozeman, Montana, to see if there were traces of COVID-19 in the water. 

The professors doubted they would find any vestiges of the disease. However, to their unfortunate surprise, they did find evidence of the virus in four samples over the next 10 days. 

But how could this be? In Montana, there would be few cases of the virus for weeks, if not months, to come. The professors now believe that many people in the state were already carrying the disease, even in the sparsely populated sections, as early as March, but were asymptomatic.

Due to these findings, the university and state public health officials began testing other wastewater sites in the state. They understood that if fumes bearing the pathogen that causes COVID made their way to dried-out risers in state facilities, it would spread the disease. Fortunately, as this article is being written, this has not been reported.

A related concern is that these sewer gases contain other pathogens that can harm human health. We know that the water in U-traps frequently evaporates. We find this happening when schools close for the holidays and recently because many buildings have been closed due to the pandemic. This sets the scene for uncontrolled spread of disease.

What can facility managers do to prevent this from happening? The long-term solution is not to refill floor and other drains with water. That is a short-term remedy. Instead, many are using inexpensive liquids known as primers or "ever prime." These liquids last for months without evaporating and are not impacted by climate extremes.

It is even possible that if residents in the Amoy apartments had poured a few ounces of Everprime in their floor drains two or three times per year, the SARS outbreak would never have reached epidemic proportions.

…

Klaus Reichardt is CEO and founder of Waterless Co. Inc, Vista, Calif. Reichardt founded the company in 1991 to establish a new market segment in the plumbing fixture industry with water efficiency in mind. The company's main product, the waterless urinal, works entirely without water. He can be reached at klaus@waterless.com

1. Different studies have come out with different findings as to how long coronavirus is stagnant in the air. This is a range of those findings.

2. Kelly R. McKinney, Yu Yang Gong, and Thomas G. Lewis, "Environmental Transmission of SARS at Amoy Gardens," Journal of Environmental Health 68, no. 9 (2006).

Four Things to Consider When Selecting a Urinal

Although we are not out of the woods yet, signs are flickering that 2021 will be a much better year in North America. This means people will be going back to work and building owners and managers will revisit restroom renovation plans they postponed due to the pandemic.

If you are one of these building owners or managers planning on remodeling restrooms in your facility, you will likely find there are several things you need to consider when selecting urinals. Here are four points to bear in mind as you shop around.

Shapes and Sizes

Not all urinals look the same. Some are larger than others, and some are rounded, whereas others are the more standard square or rectangular. Before selecting urinals, measure the area where the urinals will be installed. Then consider how many urinals you want to install in that area. This will help eliminate some sizes and shapes immediately and help you determine which size and shape will fit most comfortably in the space allowed.

Costs

Urinals tend to cost about the same as toilets, ranging from $150 to more than $1,000 with lots of bells and whistles. Most of these bells and whistles are related to what types of flush mechanisms are installed, how water-efficient the urinal is, the urinal's design, and the brand. This last point needs a bit more explanation.
There are "designer brands" of urinals just as there are designer brands in any market category. These are often only better-known brands, and because of their name alone, they may command a higher price. That does not necessarily mean they are better or of higher quality. It just means the manufacturer is taking advantage of its brand recognition. Unless you are looking for a designer urinal, your best bet is to look for well-designed, practical urinals that get the job done.

Flush Options      

Believe it or not, you can still select urinals with flush handles. These tend to be attached to less costly urinals. However, in this age of COVID and with the greater emphasis on touch-free restrooms, selecting a urinal with a flush handle probably will not go over very well in a commercial facility. Instead, choose a urinal with automatic flush capabilities. The big difference in the different systems is whether they are sensor-controlled and release water after every use or are timer controlled, releasing water at set times throughout the day. These are most often found in locations like sports venues or convention centers. Also, look for a brand that has been making automatic flush systems for quite a while and that has a satisfactory performance record.

Water Efficiency

This is the most significant consideration. While commercial restrooms can begin to look dated over time, that is not necessarily the main reason they are updated. Instead, it's all about water efficiency. Using less water is a cost savings and also means that less water needs to go through the sewers, reducing disposal costs as well. Newer fixtures use less water or as will be explained, no water at all.

In most cases, your water consumption options will be the following:

· 1.0 Gallon Per Flush (GPF)

· 0.5 GPF

· 0.125 GFP

· 0.0 GPF

At one time, urinals used as much as three gallons of water per flush. Modern flush valves release between .125 and 1 gallon per flush. However, with the reduced flush volume, bowl drain openings have been reduced. This may increase blockages from the higher urine to water content, potentially creating limestone. More often, the result is that the urine collects at the base of the urinal, and mixed with moisture, can become a breeding ground for bacteria that can cause odors.

Urinals that use no water at all are specially designed to work effectively, trap urine, and block odors without water use. Further, because they use no water and require less servicing than flush urinals, they tend to pay for themselves relatively quickly due to reduced water costs, often making them a better long-term investment.

How an Architect Prevented a Client from Doing His “Business” Outside

Rachel Wray Thompson is an architect living and working in Chicago. A few years back, she was working with a client who “insisted on having a urinal in his home.” It was the first time she had ever received this request, and her client was adamant about it. “He said if he did not get a home urinal, he’d do his business outside just to avoid wasting water.”

Well, she did not want that. Further, it did not take long for her to realize she was working with a real “tree hugger.” So, Thompson said that going forward, everything she suggested for this client’s home, from the walls, floors, and appliances, would be as green and environmentally responsible as possible.

As far as the urinal, she had to do a little research. Installing a water-using urinal would not work for the simple reason that it still used water. Even the low-flow models used more water than she believed her client would like.

So, she turned her focus to waterless urinals. “Most of these fixtures rely on a liquid that floats at the top of the trapway [cylinder] at the base of the urinal,” said Thompson. “This liquid is less dense than urine and therefore allows the urine to drain through, while the trapping liquid stays on top.”

The trapping liquid, she soon learned, provides a barrier that blocks odors from entering the bathroom and “keeps everything tidy and clean.” BlueSeal, marketed by Waterless CO., Inc, is an example of just such a “trapping liquid.”

Further, she found that because the urinal dries out between uses, “waterless urinals can actually be more sanitary than conventional urinals.”

So, if a waterless urinal uses no water, it passes that test, but how much water does it really save?

Thompson said she did a little research and discovered that if there are two males in a home, and each uses the urinal three times per day, “a waterless urinal will replace about 2,040 toilet flushes per year.”

Taking this a step further, that translates into an annual water savings of about 3,250 gallons of water, even more, if there are more males in the household.

With facts in hand, she presented the numbers to her client, who was extremely excited. This was genuine water savings, “something he could tell all his friends and write home about.”

Since then, Thompson says that while this was her first request for a home urinal, it certainly has not been her last.

“They’re getting kind of trendy. They [waterless urinals] really do not cost that much to purchase or install. I’m actually a bit surprised we don’t get more requests for them. They can put a real dent in the monthly water bill.”

The “Marriage Saver” in the Bathroom

While everything started OK, eventually a husband and wife in Indiana reached a roadblock when it came to remodeling their master bathroom.

Photo by Obi Onyeador on Unsplash

At first, the wife said she wanted everything white—white walls, countertops, floors, and fixtures—to which the husband, grudgingly, said OK.

As to those floors, the wife wanted them heated. A surprisingly inexpensive luxury, which the husband liked as well. So, the heated floors were agreed upon.

Finally, the wife said she did not want a bathtub. She said she could not even remember the last time she took a bath. Instead, she wanted a large walk-in shower, with a bench no less. The husband, who also could not remember the last time he took a bath, agreed to this as well.

Then the husband had a request. He wanted a home urinal installed in the master bath. It would be white, just like all the other fixtures, so it should fit the décor. However, the wife did not like this idea at all.

“I had to draw the line,” she said. “I’ve never even seen a home urinal before. And because we plan to move in a couple of years, I’m concerned it could make it harder to sell the house.”

This disagreement was going nowhere and was holding up the remodel of the bathroom. To help move things along, they turned to their plumber for answers, who by now assumed the role of marriage saver. Here’s what he had to say

First, he said he’s not taking any sides. “It's not my job to say who is right or wrong. I’m just going to tell you what I know based on my own experience.”

With this disclaimer, he agreed that home urinals were still a rarity, but “I have never heard of anyone saying they would not buy a house because it had a home urinal. I think many people might like a home with its own urinal, because it makes their house different from all the others on the block.”

He added that many “green” home builders are now installing urinals in their homes. “If it’s a waterless urinal, it’ll save thousands of gallons of water per year. That’s a big selling point for people that want an environmentally responsible home.”

The wife was still not enthusiastic. She wanted to know what a home urinal looked like. The marriage saver (aka plumber) said, “many have neutral colors to match just about any bathroom layout. As far as sticking out like a sore thumb, that won’t be an issue.”

Baja #2104 Waterless Touch-Free Urinals

Looking a bit more relaxed about the issue, she asked how much it would cost to install a home urinal. The wife figured if it were a significant added expense, that would be “end of discussion.” She would argue the added cost would make it prohibitive.

To her surprise, the marriage saver indicated the urinal would likely cost less than a toilet, and “if it's a waterless urinal, the installation and plumbing costs are negligible.”

She was almost sold, but then one more concern came up: “How do you clean it?” she asked.

Once again, the marriage saver had a quick answer. If a water-using urinal is installed, he said, it would be cleaned just like the toilet. “However, with a waterless urinal, other than changing the cylinder at the base of the urinal every few months, which is a relatively quick and easy thing to do, cleaning a waterless urinal is the same as cleaning a countertop, simply spray and wipe.”

His final comment: “Bottom line: I’m nicely suggesting that you ‘go with the flow’ and install a waterless urinal in your new bathroom.”

—-

WATERLESS is the go-to company when it comes to reducing water consumption, understanding the many benefits of waterless urinals, and finding ways to use water more efficiently. For more information, contact a Waterless Co Specialist.

Uncovering Water Efficiency in Different Types of Buildings

Different types of commercial buildings use water differently, and this can vary considerably. However, being aware of this is the first step to using water more efficiently, referring to long-term water-use reduction.

For instance, at least 95 percent of the water used for washing cars is in the car-wash process. The remainder, about 5 percent, is used in the car wash’s restrooms.

This means that if a car wash wanted to find ways to use water more efficiently, it would need to focus primarily on the car-washing method. Possibly it could do the following:

• Install water recycling systems, now commonly used in car washes.

• Increase the conveyor speed that moves cars through a car wash. This would allow more cars to be washed, using less water.

• Install high-pressure nozzles that use less water but are still effective at removing soil and debris from the exterior of cars.

Let’s look at some other types of facilities, see where they use most of their water, and offer some suggestions as to how they could reduce consumption:

Office Buildings

Restroom, cooling, heating, and landscaping consume about 90 percent of the water used in a typical office building. Water-efficiency measures for office buildings would include the following:

Photo by Eric Sharp on Unsplash

·        Restroom fixture replacement. As fixtures age, they may be using more water than designed. Further, newer fixtures are available that use even less water than those  a few years ago or, when it comes to urinals, no water at all.

·        Cooling tower retrofits. One of the big problems with cooling towers is that much of the water evaporates in the cooling process. Newer systems have minimized this problem and also recycle more water.

·        Tenant education programs. One of the best ways to use water more efficiently is to engage tenants. Education programs and messaging have been amazingly effective in reducing water consumption in office buildings.

There are other ways office buildings can reduce water used for irrigation. These run the gamut of using a weather/moisture-based irrigation system to transferring to native landscaping, which tends to require less water.

Schools

More than half the water used in schools is used in restrooms. The remaining consumption is divided up between landscaping and cooling.

All the office building steps to reduce water consumption can apply to schools as well. However, it is often recommended to take one further action in schools that is not necessarily water-related. Because the flush handles on urinals are repeatedly vandalized in schools, administrators are encouraged to install waterless urinals. These have no flush handles, virtually eliminating this problem.

Photo by Graham Ruttan on Unsplash

Hospitals

Large hospitals often use vast volumes of water. It is estimated that 40 percent of this water is used in public and patient restrooms. The rest is used by x-ray machines, sterilization of medical equipment, laundry, cooling, and landscaping.

As to the medical use of water, manufacturers are introducing new systems that can reduce water consumption and still meet necessary and regulatory guidelines to protect human health. As to restrooms and bathrooms, the water-reduction step discussed earlier applies here as well.

Restaurants

About half of the water used in restaurants is used in the kitchen for cooking and washing. One third is used in restrooms and the remainder for cooling and landscaping.

Water-efficient kitchen appliances are now helping to reduce water consumption in kitchens. Further, water use “best practices” have been introduced, teaching kitchen staff how to perform their duties properly while still using less water.

Once again, all the already mentioned measures that apply to office buildings, schools, and hospitals would apply here as well.

If you look at this list, it is clear that different facilities use water differently. However, except for car washes, one-third to one-half of the water used in a facility is used in restrooms. This is why restrooms should be the first place to look when it comes to using water more efficiently.

In some buildings, just transferring from flush urinals to no-water urinals is all that is required to reduce water consumption dramatically.

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

Water Sustainability: Time to Bring it Back

COVID-19 has taken the wind out of school budgets. All the plans made a year ago were soon out the window as schools around the country began to grapple with the pandemic. Planned purchases were canceled, as were school classes. While some schools did open, in many cases it was short-lived due to new waves of the pandemic.

However, it looks like in 2021, with the introduction of vaccines, things will be better. At the very least, the vaccines may bring some stability so that schools can plan a budget and stick with it, and even more critical, open their doors and stay open.

However, financially, they may be harder pressed than ever before. They will need to find more ways to reduce costs, especially when it comes to operating budgets. While it may be overlooked, one way school districts can reduce operating costs is to reduce water consumption. Districts pay for water in two different and very distinct ways:

1. The actual charges for the water by the utility company.

2. The charges for the tremendous amount of energy it takes to pump, deliver, remove, and treat the water.

In all too many cases, it is this second charge—for the energy needed to transport and treat water—that is the major cost we pay for water. Further, many districts may not even be aware of this.

To reduce costs, we need to reduce water consumption, which means we need to bring back water sustainability, something that has also fallen by the wayside due to the pandemic. But first, to begin the process, let us define what we mean by water sustainability. A working definition follows:

As it applies to schools, water sustainability is the minimization of water consumption by making changes in the behaviors of school water users and the introduction and application of water efficiency technologies.

Changing Behaviors

Re-instituting water sustainability into schools may be easier than we think, even though it has taken a temporary back seat to the pandemic. Younger people remain very sustainability-focused and, according to Deloitte’s 2020 Global Millennial Survey, which had millennials and Gen Zs in 43 countries participating, these people, “are deeply affected by the pandemic but seem able to see opportunity in the darkness. [They are] hoping for a better world to emerge after the COVID-19 pandemic releases its grip on society [and] they want to lead the change.”

How can we help them accomplish this? Among the steps that can be taken are the following:

· Create an online log where students and staff can report damaged or leaking water-using fixtures and appliances. We need to make it easy to “see something, say something.” More about water leaks later.

· Hold meetings and discuss with students and staff how they can reduce water consumption in the school.

· Create school-wide, realistic water-reduction goals.

· Teach water sustainability and its importance to the school and the community.

· Encourage children to start water projects, such as finding ways to capture rainwater for irrigation and re-use gray water.

· Discuss how climate change is impacting water sustainability and availability.

· Make the most of messaging. Create banners, posters, and colorful signs encouraging water conservation and water efficiency (long-term water conservation).

· Update water-reduction progress. Improvements tend to encourage more improvements.

· Honor those that come up with “bright ideas” to help reduce water consumption.  Once again, this encourages improvements.

· Teach students and staff how to read water meters. At first view, these meters appear to be overly complicated. However, a closer examination—with explanation—helps students understand what the meters are reporting. The goal here is to make water consumption more transparent.

Invariably, once these programs begin, new ideas evolve. Sustainability, whether it involves water, energy, fuel, or any other metric, is always a journey and new ideas invariably develop while on that journey.

Water Efficiency Technologies

Installing water-reducing technologies can cost money. Because of this, schools need to consider three things:

·    Amount of money they can spend now for new technologies that reduce water consumption

·    Areas of the school in which they can get the most bang for their water-reducing buck

·    Return on the investment of these new technologies

For instance, installing new heating and cooling systems may not be feasible due to costs. Additionally, new landscaping that requires less water may also prove too costly at this juncture.

In many cases, schools can get the most “bang for the buck” by focusing on restrooms. In fact, in inner-city schools, most of the water consumed is in restrooms. In suburban schools, it may be second only to irrigation.

So, what can we do? Among the steps are the following:

·    Conduct a water-leak audit. This can be done by in-house staffers.  In the average home, 10,000 gallons of water are wasted each year due to leaks. This gives you an idea of just how many thousands of gallons of water are wasted in schools each year.

·    Install water aerators in all faucets everywhere in the school. Very inexpensive, these can slow down water use from 2.2 gallons per minute to less than 1.5. The return on the investment (ROI) of aerators is very quick.

·    Install dual-control toilets. These are designed to use about one gallon of water per flush. ROI can vary due to many factors but is usually two to three years.

·    Install “high efficiency kits” designed to reduce water consumption in toilets.

·    Install low-flow or no-water urinals. Some schools prefer no-water urinals, also known as waterless urinals, because they typically cost less to purchase and install; the return on the investment is faster, usually less than two years; and each urinal eliminates the use of about 35,000 gallons of water annually.

·    Place containers under drinking fountains and taps to collect water. This water can be used for irrigation.

·    Related to this, water reclamation systems are now available that can be installed under sinks. Costs can vary, which means the ROI can vary. But these units may be able to transfer as much as 6,000 gallons of water that would normally go down the drain for re-use as irrigation.

·    While costs may make it prohibitive to replace heating and cooling systems, these units should be checked each year to see that they are using water as efficiently as possible.

Finally, when it comes to water-reducing technologies, do not go it alone. Work with local water experts and plumbers to find out what systems are available that can most expeditiously, and cost-effectively, reduce consumption in your school. Also, learn what other school districts are doing to reduce water consumption. Learning from each other is one of the best ways to make water sustainability work.

Getting to Know BlueSeal®

It is not until a waterless urinal is purchased that most new customers learn about how vital the sealant liquid, for example, BlueSeal, is to ensure that the no-water urinal functions properly. So, we thought we would take a few minutes to explain precisely what a sealant liquid is, what it does, and why it is so important.

Let’s begin:

• While not all waterless urinals are the same, most do require the use of a “sealant liquid.” That is exactly what BlueSeal is. It may also go by other names such as “blocking fluid” or “trap liquid.”

• This sealant liquid, as we will refer to it here, is typically made of various commercial natural oils, most of which are biodegradable. This means that when released as waste, they are capable of decomposing back into a natural state.

• About three ounces of the sealant liquid are poured into the cylinder inserted at the base of the urinal over the drain. This cylinder is also known as the trap or cartridge.

• The liquid sealant has a specific gravity less than water. Explaining what “specific gravity” means can be a bit complicated. However, what we need to know is that it is lighter than urine. As a result, it floats on top of the urine. Doing so allows it to form a barrier that contains the urine below the sealant, preventing sewer odors from being released into the restroom.

• This means that as the waterless urinal is used, the urine flows through the sealant and down the sewer drain.

• The BlueSeal sealant liquid has zero evaporation at 100 degrees (F) and does not freeze above -70 degrees (F). This means it remains stable and can work effectively in most all settings and climates.

• Over time, urine sediment and other debris from the urinal slowly collect in the cylinder. This is normal because the cylinder works like a filter.

• With each use of the urinal, a small amount of the sealing liquid gets carried down the drain and more sealant will need to be added. Eventually, however, the cylinder will need to be replaced with a new unit and fresh sealant liquid

• How often the cylinder needs to be replaced depends very much on the brand of waterless urinal selected. For instance, with some brands, the cylinder lasts only two or three months. With others, the cylinder can last several months before the cylinder liquid needs to be replaced.

So, there you have it, the basics of what a sealant liquid, in this case, Blueseal, is all about. It serves a vital purpose, ensuring restrooms stay clean, healthy, and odor free. Plus, the product is made of all-natural ingredients, ensuring it is not harmful to people or the environment.

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

Smart Toilets May Be Coming Sooner than You Think

For years, former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates has been calling for the development of low-cost, highly efficient toilets that can be installed just about anywhere in the world. These toilets would help improve sanitation, protect human health, and use water more efficiently.

While he has been singing this tune for quite some time, the key improvements and advances in toilets in recent years have primarily been designed to pamper the user. Heated seats, built-in bidets, motorized seats that “remember” each user’s preferred position on the toilet, voice controls, and calming music are undoubtedly lovely, but they won’t do much to protect human health.

The pandemic has changed all that. What are called “smart” toilets have been introduced, designed to provide a window on the health of the people who use them in communities worldwide.

Note: This is not a smart toilet. Photo by Lazar Gugleta on Unsplash

This means that if the waste from toilets installed, for instance, in parts of Africa revealed abnormalities such as unusual viruses, germs, and other pathogens, public health officials could be called in to analyze the data. Their job would be to determine why this is happening, if these abnormalities are widespread and impacting the health of many people in that area, and if so, what steps are necessary to address it, potentially stopping a pandemic long before it has a chance to take root.

“If we could get this data from a toilet, I think it would be incredible,” says Sameer Berry, a Los Angeles–based gastroenterologist. “The opportunities are endless.”

Others agree with him. That’s why a consortium of businesses and nonprofits worldwide has started something called the Toilet Board Coalition. The Coalition’s goal is to provide health officials with evidence of a disease long before it becomes a full-blown disaster. This possibly could have even given us a heads-up about the coronavirus.

While it is not widely reported, scientists in Montana found traces of the pathogens that cause the coronavirus in wastewater in late 2019. This could have been considered an abnormality, the term used earlier, and prompted a further investigation. This investigation could have helped us prepare for the virus. In this case, however, it was too late. The virus had already arrived. The scientist concluded that these early traces of the virus were from the human waste of either asymptomatic people, those who had very mild cases of the disease or thought it was the flu, when in reality, it was COVID.

Now, due to the pandemic, all types of companies are becoming interested in developing smart toilets. Google, for instance, was recently granted a patent for a toilet that “assesses human physiological systems using noninvasive sensors.” These smart toilets can take someone’s temperature while they are using the toilet, measure cardiovascular health, and “test a person’s heart to see if their heart is healthy,” according to the patent.

But that’s just the beginning.  Other systems now developed or on the way have optical sensors that determine what type of waste is in the toilet, liquid or solid, looking for abnormalities such as color and stool consistency.

Taking this a step further, some toilets can now detect fingerprints. They identify each user by their fingerprints on the flush handle and, using that information, can detect any abnormalities this person might have, such as blood in the urine or the presence of unusual bacteria in waste.

It’s expected that we will find these smart toilets being installed soon in many parts of the world, except for one. “People, particularly in the U.S., are very squeamish and skittish about talking about their excreta,” says Vikram Kashyap, founder and CEO of a San Francisco startup called Toi Labs. Something that he says is less of a problem in other parts of the world.

Further, he says there are privacy concerns. However, due to the pandemic, he believes that even in the U.S., people may welcome smart toilets if they can help fight disease, give people more awareness as to their own health, and help prevent another pandemic.

For water conservation tips, please visit https://porch.com/advice/water-conservation-tips.

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

Why Are Water Stains Different Colors?

In an earlier blog, we discussed the benefits and potential problems caused by hard water. One of the advantages we mentioned is that drinking hard water can be good for you. It contains nutrients possibly lacking from our diets.

However, hard water can also cause various plumbing-related problems, including spots and stains on toilets, sinks, and urinals.

But whether your water is hard or soft, over time, it can discolor sinks, tubs, toilets, and urinals. There are many causes of these water spots and stains, and their color is a big help in diagnosing the problem. For instance:

·     If the stains are blue-green, they are most likely caused by corrosion of copper in the pipes.

·     If the stains are yellow, tan, brown, orange, or red, that indicates metals other than copper are in the water.

·     Black stains are an indication that magnesium or other metals are in the water.

·     Red stains are typically caused by excess iron.

Now, before we place all the blame for discoloration on the metals in water, we need to understand they are not the only culprit. Instead, it is when these metals are exposed to oxygen—a process known as oxidation—that the staining process begins.

We should also mention that when certain types of bacteria in water are mixed with oxygen, they can also discolor fixtures. Typically, this bacterium is not harmful if consumed, but it thrives in water that contains high levels of iron and magnesium.

Removing Spots and Stains

Before we explore removing spots and stains, we should discuss the difference between these two terms. Spots on a carpet, for instance, or on a restroom fixture, are typically not hard to remove. There are several commercial cleaning products available, for instance, that remove water spots on fixtures quickly and safely, without leaving any residue or creating any new problems.

But spill some bleach on a dark carpet and invariably it will dry leaving a stain that is virtually impossible to remove. This is true of most stains.  They typically become permanent.

Now that we understand the difference between spots and stains, we can better understand why most stains caused by hard water can be exceedingly difficult to remove from fixtures. Further, the removal process can cause its own set of problems, such as leaving scratch marks on the fixture, streaks, or discoloring.

The goal is to prevent them in the first place.  Fortunately, technologies are available that can remove these mineral deposits from the water before the water enters the facility. Once removed, the possibility of staining is dramatically reduced.

Further, while water staining can be a very unsightly problem with flush urinals, it is not an issue with waterless urinals for the apparent reason, these urinals use no water at all.

We should also note that hard water can cause flush valves in water-using urinals to fail. This is because the hard water can leave residue on key components, causing the value to leak or cause overflows.

And one more thing. While flush urinals typically require some scrubbing to remove stains and residue buildup, this is generally not the case with no-water urinals. In general, they are cleaned as we would clean most any surface: the cleaning solution is applied to all areas of the waterless urinal and then wiped clean. That’s it.

What the Pandemic Has Taught Us About Restrooms

Waterless Co., Inc Releases White Paper Discussing the Future of Restrooms

Waterless Co., Inc., the oldest and one of the largest manufacturers of no-water urinals in North America published a White Paper today, highlighting the impact the coronavirus will have on restroom design in the coming years.

The White Paper, “What the Pandemic Has Taught Us About Restrooms,” outlines current public restroom design and fixture issues and why they may need to be changed to protect public health.

For instance, in August 2020, a major U.S. news outlet reported that “flushing urinals can release clouds of virus-containing aerosols that [pose] a significant concern during the COVID-19 pandemic.” 1

This is based on a study published by researchers at China’s Yangzhou University, which reported that “more than 57 percent of these [aerosols] can travel from the urinal… and can reach a man’s thigh in 5.5 seconds.”

According to Klaus Reichardt, CEO and Founder of Waterless Co., Inc, these “virus-containing aerosols” are called “plume” and are typically associated with toilets.

“However, now we know flush urinals can also release this dangerous plume. To address this, more low flow or more likely, no-water urinals will likely be installed in coming years.  These help minimize or eliminate urinal plume.” 

The White Paper also discusses other items in public restrooms that may need to be changed or eliminated in coming years due to COVID:

·        Electric hand dryers because they may be releasing germs and bacteria into the air when used.

·        Improving traffic flow by having separate entries and exits.

·        Placing double-sided sink counters in the center of restrooms to minimize congestion and improve social distancing

·        Selecting cartridge soap dispensers to ensure hand soap is not contaminated

·        Placing more handwashing messaging in public restrooms.

“This last point is more important than we may realize,” adds Reichardt. “An April 2020 report by the BBC found that restroom users are more motivated to wash their hands when they see restroom posters reminding them to do so.”

The White Paper is available now for download.

Key segments will also be placed on LinkedIn.

1 “Urinals May Spread Coronavirus, Study Finds,” Fox News, August 19, 2020