Ten Quotes About Water from Klaus Reichardt

Over the years, Klaus Reichardt, CEO and founder of Waterless Co, Inc, has written scores of articles about water reducing technologies and the need to reduce water consumption. The following are ten key quotes pulled from those articles.

1.       “A word we must all learn and understand is ‘aridification.’ This refers to a gradual climate change in an area of the world, slowly progressing from a wetter to a drier climate. It’s happening all over the world, including in the U.S.”

2.       “Aridification does not mean a formerly wet area will always have dry weather. There may be wet years, such as what happened in California this year. However, long term, Aridification means the climate is changing and become direr.”

3.       “Many facility managers are unaware of the importance of keeping the U-traps installed under drains filled with water or a ‘liquid primer.’ SARS in Hong Kong spread throughout a building because the water in these U-traps had evaporated.”

4.      “ I am not focused on why climate change is happening. My focus is on accepting the fact that it is changing. What we must do is act. Install more efficient technologies as quickly as possible. This includes installing water-reducing/water-eliminating restroom fixtures in restrooms and building mechanicals.”

5.       “Water efficiency and Water Conservation are not the same. Water conservation refers to steps taken during a drought. Once the drought is over, those water-conserving steps usually disappear.

Water efficiency, on the other hand, is about the long-term reduction in water consumption. Typically, this involves installing technologies that reduce water consumption, eliminate water consumption, and help change human behavior so we use water more responsibly.”

6.       “We still have far too many large and small facilities that have not conducted a water audit. A water audit tells us where water is being used in a facility, wasted, and where it may not be needed. It also establishes a benchmark. A water reduction program starts with this this benchmark.”

7.       “We must realize that one of the primary focuses of sustainability in coming years will be water efficiency. Most areas of the world will need to find ways to reduce water consumption long term. Few areas of the world will be spared.”

8.       “For those who thought aquifers (underground water) would answer our drought and aridification problems, better think again. Entire housing developments in Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and other states have been put on hold due to a lack of rainfall and dried up aquifers.”

9.       “Water shortages will have serious negative economic ramifications that will exacerbate if they are not addressed in the coming years. Water shortages and erratic and uncertain water supplies, along with rising populations, means more countries may see their gross domestic product decline due to lack of water.”

10.     “What is not getting the attention it needs is the fact that there is growing competition for water, between people, agriculture, and industry, and between one country and another. I fear this will get more serious in years to come.”

Klaus Reichardt, CEO & Founder at Waterless Co Inc | Thought Leader and Influencer | Helping Facilities Use Water More Efficiently, Reduce Water Consumption, and Lower Operating Costs.

NEWS from Waterless CO, Inc: 5 Urinal Malodor Issues and How to Fix Them

Waterless Urinal

While we do not hear about it much any longer, some facilities that have recently installed no-water urinals are encountering malodor issues. To explain what is likely happening and how to correct it, we must have a quick refresher on this topic.

To do this, we turn to Klaus Reichardt, CEO and founder of Waterless Co., Inc, the oldest marketer of waterless urinals in the U.S. If malodors are an issue, among the steps he suggests managers and cleaning professionals take are the following:

1). Clean walls and floors. Splatter is a concern with all types of urinals. The most common spatter landing spots are nearby walls, partitions, and floors. Regularly scheduled cleaning of these areas helps eliminate odors.

2). Replace the cartridges. Most waterless urinals have specially designed cartridges at the bottom of the urinal bowl. Also known as a trap, they are designed to temporarily hold urine and send it down the drain. Plus, they contain a sealing liquid that blocks sewer odors from being released into the restroom. Depending on use and cartridge type, these should be replaced every three to six months, and the sealing liquid replenished as needed.

3). Clogged urinal. If a water-using urinal is clogged, overflowing, or not draining correctly, the urinal needs to be removed from the wall, and the pipeline snaked. This is more of a problem with a water-using urinal, but it can happen with waterless urinals. On a waterless urinal, remove the cartridge, flush a bucket of water down the line, and insert a new sealant-filled cartridge. 

4). Clean the urinal. While water can address a clogging issue, it should not be used to clean a waterless urinal. This can flush out the sealing liquid in the cartridge. Instead, thoroughly clean the inside and outside of the urinal with an all-purpose cleaner and a disinfectant if needed. Typically, waterless urinals need only be cleaned with an all-purpose cleaner and wiped clean.

5). Retrofits. Many waterless urinals installed today are retrofits. The old water-using urinal is removed, and a new waterless urinal is installed. Managers should know that conventional urinals can leave deposit build-up in the plumbing below the urinal. For this reason, the drainage system should be snaked before the no-water urinal is installed.

“Odor problems apply to conventional and no-water using urinals,” says Reichardt. “No matter what type is installed, if there is urinal malodor, there usually is a reason. The steps discussed here will help in either case.”

Klaus Reichardt, CEO & Founder at Waterless Co Inc | Thought Leader and Influencer | Helping Facilities Use Water More Efficiently, Reduce Water Consumption, and Lower Operating Costs.

Six Tips on Restroom Renovations

A Restroom Begging for Restoration

Many facilities are now retrofitting their restrooms. Among the reasons they are doing this is to help keep restrooms cleaner and healthier, reduce water consumption, and find ways to lessen cleaning needs. In most commercial facilities, cleaning workers spend more time cleaning restrooms than any other area of a facility.

If you are retrofitting your restrooms, here are six tips to keep restrooms cleaner, healthier, and reduce water consumption.

1.      Install more touch-free devices. Most facilities have been going touchless for years. Toilets, urinals, and faucets no longer need to be touched for the fixtures to operate. But why stop there? Soap dispensers and paper-towel dispensers should also be touch-free. Installing these systems helps eliminate

cross-contamination, making handwashing much more sanitary. What’s more, many of these systems can be adjusted so they only release a measured amount of soap or paper per user-request. This minimizes costly waste.

2.    Select waterless urinals. Every couple of years, studies are conducted that determine the market future and growth of waterless urinals. No-water urinals, now available from many manufacturers, have proven to be odor-free and sanitary. Plus, many administrators select them because they cost less to purchase and install than traditional urinals that require flush valves, which can be costly and require extra plumbing, which is not needed with waterless urinals. The big benefit with no-water urinals, of course, is significant water reduction. 

3.    Consider plastic partitions. Many older restrooms have metal partitions. These can be heavy, requiring them to be bolted to both walls and floors, which makes cleaning the floors a challenge. Soil build-up around the bolted connections is quite common, as well as unsightly. Further, metal partitions can be easily scratched, which means they are more vulnerable to vandalism and graffiti. Plastic partitions, on the other hand, weigh less, so they need only be connected to surrounding walls, making it far easier to clean the floors. In addition, many plastic partitions are designed to be graffiti- and vandalism-resistant, so stalls and the entire restroom continue to look their best.

4.    Install new floors. New flooring can make a significant difference, not only in the appearance of the restroom but also in cleaning and maintenance. For years, many camp, park, and rec restrooms have had tile-and-grout restroom floors installed—often with small tiles. Although such floors can be attractive and provide slip-resistance, keeping them clean and sanitary is all-too-often a never-ending battle as they age. When installing new restroom floors, select seamless, one-piece epoxy flooring or a similar floor surface. These floors have waterproofing capabilities, can be pitched for drainage, are durable, and are much easier to clean and to keep clean.

5.    Select automatic sanitizers on toilets and urinals. These systems are often programmable and designed for use on many existing fixtures. They release a disinfectant after each flush of a toilet or urinal, coating the fixture and surrounding surfaces. They keep the fixtures cleaner and healthier, reduce odors, and can shorten cleaning frequencies throughout the day. 

6.    Purchase toilet-seat cleaning systems. Taking toilet cleaning a step further, restroom users can also do their part to help keep toilets cleaner and healthier. With some systems, a wave of the hand over the toilet activates a mechanism that automatically and quickly cleans, disinfects, and dries the toilet after each use. The entire process occurs without contact, ensuring sanitary conditions. 

Klaus Reichardt, CEO & Founder at Waterless Co Inc | Thought Leader and Influencer | Helping Facilities Use Water More Efficiently, Reduce Water Consumption, and Lower Operating Costs.

Eight Ways to Reduce Water Consumption Now

Old Restroom Fixtures

Many organizations are now actively working to improve community relations and prove to their neighbors, vendors, and customers that they strive to be environmentally sensitive and promote sustainability. Reducing water consumption is one way they are accomplishing this. But how can facilities reduce water consumption?

Here are eight steps I suggest:

 1.    Changing employee behaviors. Many facilities, just like many people, are accustomed to using water indiscriminately. We pay little attention to the amounts we use because water is inexpensive and readily accessible. To address this, many organizations are working with their staff — even creating training programs — to discuss the importance of reducing water consumption and provide them with ways to do so.

2.    Benchmarking consumption. Many facilities need to learn how much water they are consuming. Further, they may need to determine if one division in a facility uses more water than another and how much. This is what benchmarking is all about. Administrators must know how much water they are currently using before they can start saving water. To determine consumption, it is a wise idea to invest in submetering. These water meters in different facility areas indicate how much water a specific area consumes.

3.    Analyze the bill. Water utility bills should be analyzed and understood along with benchmarking water consumption. Some utility bills are quite complicated. Make sure you know how the bill is tabulated. Also, water utility bills should always be delivered to the operations officer first, not accounts payable. The accounting staff pays the bill; the operations officer examines the bill to see if the facility is reducing water consumption.

 4.    Prizes and incentives. Many large organizations have different divisions within the same building. Some administrators award prizes to those divisions that have most reduced water consumption within a certain period. These competitions, according to one administrator, are surprisingly effective.

5.    Messaging: In virtually every food service establishment, we see a poster or sign in restrooms that says, “employees must wash their hands before going back to work.”  Administrators should add another sign in their restrooms, saying “use water responsibly” or “remember to reduce water consumption every way you can.”

6.    Put staff in charge. Depending on how much water is used for irrigation of outdoor vegetation, in general, most water used in a facility is used inside the facility. Because of this, administrators should ask their staff to lead the way in reducing water consumption. They are the ones using the water; they can be the ones in charge of reducing water consumption.

7.    Minimizing the use of water for cleaning. Substantial amounts of water are used to clean commercial facilities. Such cleaning tasks as hosing floors and outdoor areas should be eliminated. Instead, consider indoor/outdoor pressure cleaning systems. The high pressure does more of the work, helping to loosen and remove soils, so that less water is needed.

8.    Check the age of restroom fixtures. Now is the time to find out how old your restroom fixtures are. Invariably, restrooms are remodeled every five to ten years, however that may be too long to wait. Here's a rule of thumb: If restroom fixtures are over ten years old, they should be replaced with new, "high efficiency" fixtures. As it pertains to urinals, installing no-water urinals can result in a dramatic reduction in water consumption.

Note: According to Mr. Rooter, a nationwide franchise of U.S. plumbers, restroom fixtures can last from fifteen to twenty years. However, the older they are, the more a price you pay for them.

Older restroom fixtures use more water, increase utility costs, and need to be repaired and serviced more often. It’s more cost effective to change them every few years.

Klaus Reichardt, CEO & Founder at Waterless Co Inc | Thought Leader and Influencer | Helping Facilities Use Water More Efficiently, Reduce Water Consumption, and Lower Operating Costs.

Waterless Co., Inc Celebrates Earth Day 2023

The Earth must have clean, fresh water for every living thing on this planet. We do that by protecting this, our most precious resource, and using water more efficiently. Waterless Co., Inc honors and celebrates Earth Day, not only on April 22 of each year, but throughout the year.

To help us better understand the importance of this world event, here are two things you may not know about Earth Day, along with ten quotes to honor this special day: 

What It's All About

Earth Day is an annual celebration that honors the achievements of the environmental movement. It raises awareness of the need to protect Earth's natural resources for future generations. Earth Day is celebrated on April 22 in the United States and most areas of the world. 

Why April 22?

 Earth Day falls on April 22. The day was chosen by the original event's organizer, Wisconsin Sen. Gaylord Nelson, for simple reasons. Earth Day was an event focused on college students. April 22 did not interfere with Spring Break, final exams, or major religious holidays such as Easter, and it was late enough in spring to anticipate decent weather for outdoor activities. 

10 Earth Day Quotes to Honor this Special Day

1.   "The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it."— Robert Swan. 

2.   "If every day were Earth Day, we wouldn't be in the mess we're in."— Neil deGrasse Tyson.

3.   "I only feel angry when I see waste. When I see people throwing away things we could use."— Mother Teresa.

4.   "You are not Atlas carrying the world on your shoulder. Remember that the planet is carrying you."—E. E. Cummings.

5.   "If you can't be in awe of Nature, there's something wrong with you." —Alex Trebek.

6.   "It looks big, Earth. But there are lots of us here (7,523,458,567 and counting), so be kind." —Oliver Jeffers.

7.   "Earth rejoices our words, breathing, and peaceful steps. Let every breath, every word, and every step make mother earth proud of us."― Amit Ray.

8.   "No one comes from the Earth like grass. We come like trees. We all have roots." —Maya Angelou.

9.   "The world is mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful." —E. E. Cummings.

10. "Even if you never have the chance to see or touch the ocean, the ocean touches you with every breath you take, every drop of water you drink, every bite you consume. Everyone, everywhere, is inextricably connected to and utterly dependent upon the existence of the sea." —Dr. Sylvia Earle

The BAJA Waterless Urinal: One of the Five Best Waterless Urinals on the Market

TheHomebit.com, a publication for the consumer and commercial plumbing industry, lists the Waterless BAJA urinal, as one of the five best No-Water Urinals now available:

The Waterless 2104 Baja Urinal is one of the most outstanding waterless urinals we are currently reviewing, says the publication.

Waterless Co., Inc. launched this model in 2012; and since then, it has been one of the best sellers on the market.

This urinal has a small and smart design. The length of Waterless 2104 Baja Urinal is 14.5 inches wide and 21.5 inches long. The item’s weight is exceptionally light at about 26.4 pounds.

The core material of this urinal is ceramic. Renovating technology has been applied to make this Waterless 2104 Baja Urinal more efficient, convenient, and user-friendly. It uses the highly recommended EcoTrap system.

The Waterless 2104 Baja Urinal is quite easy to install. It can be installed in traditional urinal settings of 2 inches waste line. If you have a 1.50 inches wide wastage line, then you can easily install it by joining with a reducer bushing.

Waterless 2104 Baja Urinal has no flush water supply lines. It has no handle, no requirements for sensors to install the mainframe, and no mobile parts at all.

Product Specifications

14 X 14.5 X 21.5 inches

Weight: 26.4 Pound

Material: Ceramic

Installation: Wall-mounted

Our Verdict: Highly recommended waterless urinal, not only because of its low price but also because the features of this urinal are outstanding.  

Easy installation process makes this model a prime choice for restroom renovation.  Itt could be the best fit for your home and office. 

 Shop now at Waterless.com

Five Urinal Malodor Issues and How to Fix Them

While we do not hear about it much any longer, some facilities that have recently installed no-water urinals are encountering malodor issues. 

To explain what is likely happening and how to correct it, we must have a quick refresher on this topic.

To do this, we turn to Klaus Reichardt, CEO and Founder of Waterless Co., Inc, the oldest marketer of waterless urinals in the U.S. If malodors are an issue, among the steps he suggests managers and cleaning professionals take are the following:

1). Clean walls and floors. Splatter is a concern with all types of urinals. The most common spatter landing spots are nearby walls, partitions, and floors. Regularly scheduled cleaning of these areas helps eliminate odors.

2). Replace the cartridges. Most waterless urinals have specially designed cartridges at the bottom of the urinal bowl. Also known as a trap, they are designed to temporarily hold urine and send it down the drain. Plus, they contain a sealing liquid that blocks sewer odors from being released into the restroom. Depending on use and cartridge type, these should be replaced every three to six months, and the sealing liquid replenished as needed.

3). Clogged urinal. If a water-using urinal is clogged, overflowing, or not draining correctly, the urinal needs to be removed from the wall, and the pipeline snaked. Cogging is more of a problem with a water-using urinal, but it can happen with waterless urinals. On a waterless urinal, remove the cartridge, flush a bucket of water down the line, and insert a new sealant-filled cartridge. 

4). Clean the urinal. While water can address a clogging issue, it should not be used to clean a waterless urinal. This can flush out the sealing liquid in the cartridge. Instead, thoroughly clean the inside and outside of the urinal with an all-purpose cleaner and a disinfectant if needed. Typically, waterless urinals need only be cleaned with an all-purpose cleaner and wiped clean.

5). Retrofits. Many waterless urinals installed today are retrofits. The old water-using urinal is removed, and a new waterless urinal is installed. Managers should know that conventional urinals can leave deposit build-up in the plumbing below the urinal. For this reason, the drainage system should be snaked before the no-water urinal is installed.

“Odor problems apply to conventional and no-water using urinals,” says Reichardt. “No matter what type is installed, if there is urinal malodor, there usually is a reason. The steps discussed here will help in either case.”

About Waterless

Waterless Co. Inc. has established a well-respected reputation as being an innovative manufacturer of no-water urinal systems.  Based in Vista, Ca, the 31- year-old company is the oldest manufacturer of waterless urinals in North America.  The company offers a full line of Waterless No-Flush urinals, cleaning liquids, and cost saving accessories. Visit: www.waterless.com 

Waterless Co. Inc.

1050 Joshua Way
Vista, CA 92081 USA
800.244.6364

sales@waterless.com

Media Contact: Robert Kravitz

Phone: 312-880-8176

E-Mail: robert@alturasolutions.com

Why Aren't People Going Back to Work?

Recent studies suggest a variety of reasons why people are not returning to their old workspaces. The reasons are long commutes, they are more productive working at home, their lifestyle has become healthier, and they like flexibility. 

However, one overriding reason they are not returning to their old workspaces is disease. COVID has made them much more aware of how touching contaminated surfaces or inhaling airborne pathogens can pose serious risks.  

Because of this, Waterless Co., Inc suggests that facility managers take the following steps to ensure their facilities are healthy and encourage workers to return to the office.

Among these are the following:

Use antimicrobial coatings. These coatings are not new, but they are getting a much closer look due to the pandemic. Antimicrobial coatings are often applied to counters, walls, partitions, doors, and door handles, high-touch areas, even HVAC vents because they can become contaminated with germs and bacteria with use. Some paint manufacturers also apply them to their wall paint and primer products. Whether applied on surfaces or in paint, these coatings help inhibit the growth of pathogens in facilities.  

Separate entry and exit doors. Having individual entries and exits in restrooms helps improve flow. People can get in and out of the restroom faster, and it improves social distancing by reducing close interaction, helping to prevent the spread of the infection.

No doors/automatic doors. In large facilities, doors have been replaced with walkways and corridors for several years. This eliminates touching a door surface, and no surface touching is needed now. 

Put sinks in the center. While it is considered unusual in the U.S., having a sink counter in the center of the restroom with toilets and urinals surrounding it in Europe is quite common. There are several reasons restrooms may be redesigned with sinks in the center. Typically, the rows of sinks are on both sides of the center island, with mirrors dividing the areas. This allows more users to use the counter and minimizes congestion.

Everything close by. Restroom users want all the supplies they need in the restroom close by. This reduces interaction with other restroom users.  This also means that there will be more dispensers installed. No longer will there be just one dispenser on the wall to serve all users.

"Smart" toilets. Plume is airborne contaminants forced into the air when the toilet flushes. Further, these smart toilet lids may automatically descend before the toilet can be flushed. Surprise: lids may return to toilets to help mitigate toilet plume. 

Outflow ventilation. Ventilation should be enhanced so that it removes air from the restroom. This helps remove toilet and (water-using) urinal plume faster and helps remove germs and bacteria from the confined restroom space.  

Install more waterless urinals. Waterless urinals do not generate plume. Further, in addition to saving as much as 35,000 gallons of water per urinal per year, they help reduce carbon emissions. It takes electricity from fossil-fueled power plants to deliver and remove water from a facility. With waterless urinals installed, the amount of water delivered and removed is reduced, which helps reduce CO2 emissions. 

Enhanced custodial worker safety. In the past, most cleaning workers' critical safety concern when cleaning restrooms was eye and skin contact with cleaning solutions. Now, the concern is encountering the germs that cause the virus. Restrooms must be redesigned to require less physical touching of surfaces by cleaning workers.  

Smaller/Larger restrooms. We may see restrooms get smaller – one-person restrooms - or much larger in the coming years. A one-person restroom would be safer than one used by many people simultaneously. A larger restroom, on the other hand, will give users more space. This will allow for more distance between fixtures, again enhancing social distancing.  

Klaus Reichardt is CEO and founder of Waterless Co, Inc, pioneers in advancing water efficiency. Reichardt founded the company in 1991 with the goal of establishing a new market segment in the plumbing fixture industry with water efficiency in mind. Reichardt is a frequent writer and presenter, discussing water conservation issues. He can be reached at klaus@waterless.com

Water-Using Urinals and The Plume Factor

Airborne Bacteria - CDC

Plume, and its danger to human health, came to light during the pandemic. However, it's something we have known about for years. However, even though we have been aware of this, little if anything has ever been done about it. Fortunatley, it has garnered more interest and concern since the end of the pandemic.

So, we are all on the same page, plume is the release of microscopic contaminants when a toilet is flushed. As these transmissions become aerosolized and airborne, they can be inhaled or coat nearby surfaces – including clothing - that later can be touched.  When this happens, it can start the spread of cross contamination.

As just referenced, typically when we talk about plume, we are referring to toilets. But now we know the problem exists with water-using urinals and can be just as bad. Further, we now also understand that the situation can be made even worse due to COVID and other viruses. This is because we have learned that coronavirus and many other viruses are found in urine, which can also be aerosolized. 

"Flushing will lift the virus up from the toilet bowl," says Ji-Xiang Wang, who researches fluids at Yangzhou University in Yangzhou, China. "Bathroom users need to close the lid first and then trigger the flushing process."

Wang gives us a solution – close the lid - however, this solution is not available in most public facilities in the U.S. Lids were removed from toilets decades ago. Doing so reduced the toilets' costs and made for one less thing to be cleaned in a public restroom. So, one redesign solution for healthier and safer restrooms in the future is for toilet manufacturers to re-introduce lids on their products. 

Another is full-length doors and partitions. Typically, doors and partitions enclosing toilet stalls leave a foot or two of space at the bottom and another couple of feet at the top. To prevent the plume from traveling beyond the toilet, these coverings must enclose the entire stall, top to bottom.

As we mentioned, with water-using urinals, this situation can be even worse. Today, there is rarely a divider between urinals. And if there is one, it is typically only three or four feet long and required to extend six inches beyond the front of the urinal. 

This is required by the Americans with Disabilities Act. That's hardly large enough to prevent plume from becoming airborne and being inhaled by nearby urinal users.

Most observers now Believe we have two key options to prevent water-using urinal plume from spreading in a public restroom: 

1. Enclose the urinals into separate, totally enclosed stalls, just like toilets mentioned earlier. Unfortunately, this increases costs and often requires more space. When it comes to restrooms, we must think like a developer.  Restrooms do not make money for building owners so they are often kept as small as possible. 

2. The other option is to transfer to waterless urinals. Because there is no flushing, plume is not an issue with waterless urinals. Further, because waterless urinals are relatively inexpensive to purchase and install, many building owners and managers now believe this is their best option.

This is because, waterless urinals meet all their concerns: helping to make restrooms cleaner and healthier, prevent plume, and keeping costs down.

Klaus Reichardt is CEO and founder of Waterless Co, Inc, pioneers in advancing water efficiency.  Reichardt founded the company in 1991 with the goal of establishing a new market segment in the plumbing fixture industry with water efficiency in mind. Reichardt is a frequent writer and presenter, discussing water conservation issues.  He can be reached at klaus@waterless.com

Ten Quotes About the Importance of Water

1.   "If there is magic on the planet, it is contained in water." Loren Eisley, American Anthropologist

2.   "Water is the driving force of all nature." Leonardo Da Vinci

3.   "We forget that water and life cycles are one." Jacques Cousteau. Oceanographer

4.   "A river seems like a magical thing. A magical, moving, living part of the very earth itself." ― Laura Gilpin, American Photographer

5.   "Thousands have lived without love, not one without water." — W. H. Auden, Poet.

6.   "Time to care before streams are bare." The Dharma Trails, Inspiration, and Awareness

7.   "Pure water is the world's first and foremost medicine." Slovakian Proverb

8.   "When the well is dry, we know the value of water. Benjamin Franklin

9.   "Water is life, and clean water means health." Audrey Hepburn

10.                "Water is life. No Blue, No Green." Sylvia Earle, Oceanographer

 Waterless Co., Inc is a pioneer in water efficiency. We are 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.