Waterless urinals can be a high-impact water-conservation retrofits with measurable operating cost benefits. Depending on baseline fixture performance and restroom traffic, a single unit can save an estimated 35,000–45,000 gallons of water per year—often reducing both water and sewer charges.
For example, Sierra Community College in California replaced 33 conventional urinals with waterless models and reports conserving an estimated 1.3 million gallons annually.
What Drives Water Savings (and How to Baseline Them)
Savings depend primarily on what you’re replacing—actual flush performance, fixture age/condition, and usage volume. For the most defensible estimate, confirm current water use (metering, spot measurements, or maintenance observations) rather than relying only on published flush ratings.
As a rule of thumb, older urinals—especially original fixtures still in service—can consume as much as 45,000 gallons per year. Urinals installed as recently as the 1990s may be closer to 20,000 gallons annually. The older (and more degraded) the fixture, the greater the savings potential when you convert to waterless.
One important caveat: rated flush volume and real-world water use often diverge over time. A urinal rated at one gallon per flush may use considerably more after years of wear, valve drift, repeated repairs, or vandalism. When estimating savings (and verifying them post-install), use measured or observed performance wherever possible.
Confirm baseline use: identify current flush volume in practice (not just rated), and estimate daily uses per fixture.
Review O&M capacity: align housekeeping and maintenance on cartridge/service intervals, drain-line cleaning approach, and spare parts stocking.
Consider environment: high-misuse locations and certain occupant groups may require more frequent maintenance.
Validate requirements: confirm local code/authority requirements and any internal standards before standardizing on a model.
Cost Savings: Utility Rates, Sewer Charges, and Payback
Beyond reducing water consumption, waterless urinals can reduce combined water-and-sewer costs. The dollar impact depends on your blended rates (and how your utility bills sewage), but examples help illustrate the range of outcomes.
For instance, the Lucia Mar Unified School District in Arroyo Grande, California, reported saving $1,700 after installing waterless urinals across its schools. For many facilities, these savings can help offset retrofit costs and support sustainability or deferred-maintenance priorities.
For a deeper look at cost savings and operational considerations, Massachusetts published one of the most comprehensive independent studies on waterless urinals. It can be a useful reference for facilities evaluating a switch.
Facility Fit: Where Waterless Urinals Work Best (and Where to Be Cautious)
Waterless urinals perform well in most commercial and institutional applications, but the right choice depends on user behavior, maintenance capacity, and risk tolerance for higher-touch locations.
The Massachusetts study advises against using waterless urinals in correctional facilities, where higher rates of misuse can accelerate residue buildup and lead to premature cartridge clogging. If you do consider installation in high-misuse environments, plan for more frequent inspections, clear housekeeping procedures, and a defined response process for clogs or odor complaints.
In offices, schools, airports, stadiums, and many other public-facing facilities, waterless urinals can deliver meaningful water savings with manageable maintenance when standard work is defined up front.
Next Step: Build a Site-Specific Savings and Maintenance Estimate
Every facility is different, and the best business case comes from your own baselines. To estimate water and cost savings for your site, gather (1) current fixture type/condition, (2) estimated uses per day, and (3) your blended water-and-sewer rates. If helpful, a Waterless Co. representative can support a quick assessment and recommend a pilot approach for verifying savings and maintenance effort.
The goal now must be to use water as efficiently as possible. The steps discussed here will help facility managers accomplish that.
