What Artificial Intelligence Says about Waterless Urinals

We asked one of these new artificial intelligence writing systems to tell us what they know about waterless urinals. We gave it the keywords "waterless urinals," “waterless urinals and water use” “waterless urinals and hygiene,” and the system went to work, magically making content.

Below, verbatim is that magical content:

 Hygiene

Waterless urinals are an excellent way to improve hygiene in a restroom.

They do not need to be touched, and the urine does not have to be flushed, so germs have less opportunity to spread.

If there's no flushing involved, you won't have to worry about splashback, which can happen when someone doesn't aim correctly. And if there is less splatter, then that means fewer chances for germs to spread.

This also makes it easier for surfaces to remain clean.

All you have to do is aim, and the urinal takes care of the rest. Just wash your hands normally when you're done.

 Sanitation

Waterless urinals are a great choice for anyone who wants to minimize the spread of germs in their bathroom. Although you may think that flushing is an important part of keeping things clean, in fact, it's not.

Flushing often causes splatter, which can get onto your hands or shoes when you walk away from the urinal.

The health benefits of waterless urinals go beyond just reducing the number of bacteria in the air around you—they also help minimize restroom odors.

If you're looking to improve the sanitation of your bathroom or restroom, waterless urinals are the way to go.

Water Use Reduction

Waterless urinals have been shown to reduce water usage by up to 80%! [NOTE: This is the AI system talking. While water consumption is reduced significantly, we cannot confirm this number]. They have been shown to save thousands of gallons of water per urinal.

Waterless urinals can reduce your monthly water bill by up to 50%! [NOTE: Again, this is the AI system talking. We cannot confirm this number.]

Waterless urinals are a great way to save money and water. In fact, they are so effective at saving water, just one urinal will save about $50 per year [on your water utility bill].

 Installation

They can be installed in almost any location, from public restrooms to private homes.  They are easy to install and can be used with existing plumbing systems.

The installation process takes about two hours, but this time can be reduced if you have someone helping you. The first step is to remove the existing urinal and then install the waterless urinal using the instructions provided by your manufacturer.

 How It Works

A waterless urinal uses an engineered trap system that collects liquid but does not release it until it reaches a certain level in the bowl. Any liquid entering the bowl is captured and stored for later disposal instead of being flushed down the drain each time someone uses the restroom.

 Are the Future

Waterless urinals are the future of hygiene.

Urinal users need to know they can improve their hygiene by using waterless urinals. Waterless urinals are designed without flushing mechanisms and [do not need] any contact with human hands. When you use a waterless urinal, you never have to touch anything.

So, if you're looking for ways to improve your hygiene at work or at home, consider installing a waterless urinal!

Our Takeaway

Well, that’s what the AI system told us. For the most part, we agree with everything it says, even if it is a bit repetitive. In fact, in some ways, we could not have said it better.

Waterless Co., Inc. Pioneers in Water Efficiency

New Stadium Is a Trailblazer When It Comes to Water

The new Mercedes-Benz stadium in Atlanta has been referred to as a trailblazer for a number of reasons and one of them involves how they have managed to reduce water consumption. They are leading the way for large sports facilities around the world, showing them just how much can be done to use water more efficiently and responsibly.

Photo by Christopher Alvarenga on Unsplash

Among the several water-reducing strategies the stadium has implemented are the following:

• Installing high-efficiency toilets that use less water than those required by government regulations; 

• Xeriscaping green space, including planting drought-resistant plants; 

• Selecting mechanicals, such as boilers and HVAC systems, which use water more efficiently than comparable systems; and

• Installing a 680,000-gal cistern to collect rainwater, which then can be used for cooling the facility or irrigation.

Steps also were taken to address a water-related problem in west Atlanta, where Mercedes-Benz Stadium is located. Initiatives were employed to reduce water drainage, which historically contributed to flooding in the area. 

“We did this for many reasons,” said Scott Jenkins, general manager of the stadium. “Paramount was our goal not only to be a good neighbor, but improve the quality of life for people living on the west side of Atlanta.”

While these water saving initiatives have helped reduce water consumption, the installation of waterless, otherwise known as no-water, urinals has proven to be one of the most effective water saving initiatives.

One traditional urinal can consume more than 35,000 gal of water per year. It is hard to count how many urinals are in the average sports venue in the U.S., much less determine how much water they consume because many stadiums use trough urinals. These urinals can accommodate three to six users at one time. Further, some stadiums have installed a combination of traditional urinals and trough systems. However, whatever the situation, the amount of water used can be millions of gallons. One of the most effective ways to reduce those numbers is to install no-water urinals.

Learn More Here

Water Terms We Need to Know

No, Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia is Not One of Them

As building managers begin to reduce their facility's water consumption and use water more efficiently, one of the first things they realize is that there are several terms and abbreviations used to describe water use.

Although these are not complicated words like hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia, which refers to the fear of pronouncing long words, some water-related terms may put us in a quandary.

Here to rinse away this predicament is Klaus Reichardt, CEO of Waterless Co., manufacturers of waterless urinals. Reichardt defines for us some common water-usage terms and abbreviations we all should know:

Cubic Feet. The cubic feet of water, or Ccf, is a measurement of water. One Ccf is 7.48 gallons of water.

Water Friction. When water is traveling through pipes, friction can develop. Friction can slow the movement of water.

Photo by Luis Quintero

Water Flow. An easy one. This term refers to the amount of water coming out of a hose, pipe, or faucet.

Water Pressure. Water pressure is the amount of force needed to move water from one place to another. Water flow and water pressure are not the same.

Waterless Urinals. A urinal that uses no water at all.

GPM. Gallons of water per minute.

Leak Dial. A leak dial, also called a water movement indicator dial, is the dial on a water meter. It is called a leak dial because if all water-using appliances are turned off in a facility and the dial is still moving, it indicates there are water leaks in the facility.

Water Velocity. The speed at which water flows in a pipe; for instance, 100 gallons of water would flow much lower in a one-inch diameter pipe compared to a five-inch diameter pipe

Water Volume. Volume is found by multiplying length by width by depth. For example, if an Olympic-size pool is 164 feet by 82 feet by 6 feet, then the cubic feet of water in the pool equals 164 x 82 x 6, or 80688 cubic feet. Because one cubic foot of water is 7.48 gallons, the volume of water in the pool is more than 603,500 gallons of water.

High-Efficiency Toilet. These toilets use 30 percent less water per flush than a standard toilet.

Energy-Efficient Toilet. An energy-efficient toilet removes waste by water velocity instead of water volume, the amount and weight of the water.

"Adding to the confusion is that many times water meters and water bills use abbreviations and acronyms to describe water terms," says Reichardt. "If you don't know what a term means, call the utility. They are too important to not understand."

Water Savings Measures at Atlanta Mercedes-Benz Stadium

To understand why Atlanta’s new Mercedes-Benz Stadium is noteworthy–especially for its focus on sustainability and water conservation–it is important to know how the stadium industry has been evolving during the past few years. People are not attending large sports venues the way they were only 10 or 15 years ago. 

This has been verified by recent studies that indicate stadium attendance has been on a steady decline. In 2014, more than 35% of U.S. consumers reported that they had attended a sporting event at a stadium in the past six months. By 2017, that number had dropped to just 27%, according to a study by Gartner, a research and advisory company.

To help turn this trend around, the owners and developers of Mercedes-Benz Stadium took many steps to bring attendees back to the sports venue, including making the stadium sustainability focused. It is the first professional sports stadium in the world to earn Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification.

Gold LEED certification requires a facility to earn 60 to 79 points and platinum requires 80 or more points. Mercedes-Benz Stadium earned 88 points. To reach the Platinum level, the stadium’s administrators developed water-use strategies and installed fixtures that consume far less water–or use it far more efficiently–than ever before in a sports venue.

To read more about the Atlanta Falcons new sustainable stadium, click here.

Why are water costs rising across the U.S.?

Each glass of water, shower or flush costs far more than it did just eight years ago — and your water is bill is likely to go up again in 2019.

The average water and sewer bill in 50 cities jumped 3.6% this year, marking the eighth consecutive year of increases, according to a recent annual study from Bluefield Research. Since 2012, water bills have surged 31%, outpacing inflation.

This year, the typical household will pay $104 per month for water and wastewater services, the Boston-based company said. That's a faster pace than increases in prices for most groceries or gasoline, based on recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

To read more on the CBS News Website, click here.

The Most commonly asked questions regarding waterless urinals

As the oldest manufacturer of waterless urinals in North America, Klaus Reichardt, CEO and founder of Waterless Co., says he has heard just about every question imaginable about the devices.

Years ago, he says, the questions were more elementary, like:

•   How do they work?
•   How much water can they save?
•   How do you use them? 

However, today, building owners know more about waterless urinals and have “far more weighty questions.”

To read more, click here to get to the full article on Bath & Kitchen Pro.