Questions and Answers About Waterless Urinals

The following are questions from the editor of Campus Facility Magazine

 Answers are provided by Klaus Reichardt, CEO of Waterless Co., Inc.

 

Editor: What are some initial and long-term benefits for colleges that install waterless urinals?

 

Klaus Reichardt: One of the first cost savings comes with installation. Waterless urinals do not have flush handles or sensory systems or require the plumbing, piping, or incoming water lines necessary to bring water to the urinal—these are what cost the most when installing conventional urinals.

 

Waterless urinal systems rarely require repairs. For this reason, some busy bars and restaurants have switched to waterless systems. The manager of one popular Austin, TX restaurant said that after a busy Saturday night, at least one of the restaurant’s conventional urinals or their flush handles were usually tampered with, broken, or clogged with debris. With waterless urinals, this rarely happens.

 

Then there are the actual water savings. A single conventional urinal can use as much as 35,000 gallons of potable water per year. This is not only a water saving but a cost saving. It can cost as much as $2 per gallon to deliver and drain water from a facility. These charges are passed on to customers in increased utility fees or higher taxes.

 

What are the costs associated with waterless urinals once they are installed?

 

Due diligence is required when selecting a waterless urinal system. Although the assorted brands look and work similarly, there are differences that, if overlooked, can undermine the expected savings. For example, the trap/cylinders placed at the bottom of the urinal in some models may require more frequent changing and can be awfully expensive, as much as US$50 each.

 

Managers must know that the trap/cylinder in other brands can last considerably longer and cost as little as $10.00 each.  This is why due diligence is so necessary.

 

How does the technology work?

 

The way waterless urinal systems work is quite simple. Instead of using water to flush away urine, gravity drains the urine into the trap/cylinder we just mentioned.

 

The cylinder is filled with a thin layer of liquid sealant, which must be re-filled as necessary, a quick and easy procedure. As the urine passes through the trap/cylinder and sealant, which prevents odors from being released into the restroom, the urine flows into a conventional drainpipe, much the same way a traditional urinal works.

 

How about cleaning a waterless urinal?

 

In most cases, a waterless urinal is cleaned using an all-purpose cleaning solution, cloth, or sponge. A disinfectant can also be used if necessary. However, because the interior of the unit is dry, bacteria, germs, and other contaminants rarely develop. This is more hygienic and also helps protect indoor air quality because fewer germs become airborne.

 

Can you comment on any other trends in water that our readers should know?

 

When Waterless Co., Inc was founded three decades ago, areas of North America had droughts, but those droughts would last a year or two and would be soon forgotten.

 

Those days are over. Many parts of North America are experiencing ongoing dry conditions – referred to as aridification – which appear to be the new normal when it comes to their climate. This means dry, warmer weather is now a permanent condition. Instead of a drought ending in a couple of years, we will see just the opposite: occasional wet years with droughts soon returning.

 

This means finding more ways to reduce water consumption and improve water efficiency is now an ongoing journey. And it can be done. California has reduced water consumption by more than 60 percent in the past three decades. This proves we can do this, and no-water urinals can help make it happen.

The Forgotten Part of Restroom Care – Drains

This article was first published in CMM

When it comes to restroom care protocols, the focus is invariably on the cleanliness and appearance of restroom fixtures, floors, walls, counters, and mirrors. However, cleaning
professionals should know there is one especially critical area that is often overlooked in the cleaning process—drains, specifically floor drains.

Escaped sewer odors

Problems with drains date back to the introduction of commercial and residential plumbing. An article published in the June 1877 issue of London’s Journal of the Society of Art discusses how in 1852, “an alarming outbreak of fever took place in Croydon (a section of London) on the introduction of a [sewage] system…the chief cause of the outbreak was the escape of infected air from the sewers into house(s) and the inhalation by persons susceptible to the disease.” The article goes on to say, “the house drains and soil pipes are uninterrupted.”

Uninterrupted meant there were no U-traps installed, or, if there were, they had dried up. Working properly, U-traps would have prevented the escape of sewer odors, likely preventing the fever. 

Fumes from the vents

Let’s jump ahead to modern day to examine another incident that shows us why proper drain care is essential. In December 2016, a gastrointestinal outbreak was reported among 154 diners attending a Christmas buffet in Finland. Researchers tested food, water, ice, and air ventilation systems in the restaurant, looking for indicators of the outbreak’s cause. They found that three ice cube machines had high levels of bacteria. The investigators concluded a faulty air ventilation valve where the ice cube machines were located was a likely cause of this outbreak and that leaking air ventilation valves may represent a neglected transmission route in viral gastrointestinal outbreaks.

But there’s more. The air ventilation systems were releasing fumes because the U-traps where the ice machines were located were not working properly. The researchers said that this release of fumes was “similar to what caused the outbreak of SARS,” which we will discuss next. They stated:

“We have noticed that drains have been largely neglected in routine inspections and that leaking U-traps (those that are not working correctly) are a common feature in so-called high hygiene areas of food processing facilities.”

In other words, proper drain care is necessary to protect human health, not only in restrooms but also in commercial kitchens and food processing areas.

Drainpipe sewage

Now let’s review the 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak in Hong Kong to help us understand just how vital drain maintenance is to the health of building occupants.

SARS was first detected in Hong Kong in March 2003. Within a brief period, medical authorities identified 1,750 cases, and 286 people died of the respiratory disease. From March onward, authorities in other countries also identified cases of SARS, including at least two cases in Canada.

After the cases subsided, health inspectors set out to find out what caused the outbreak. While the inspectors initially thought people caught SARS by touching contaminated surfaces, the real culprit turned out to be drains, and more specifically, floor drains.

The researchers collected effluent in the drainpipes—referred to as soil stacks—from all floors of a Hong Kong apartment building. They inspected U-shaped traps in all the bathroom floor drains, installed to prevent odors and insects from escaping from the drains.

One key investigation published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine in August 2003 reported:

“The U-traps (in the bathrooms) must contain water (to operate correctly). Because most households were in the habit of cleaning the bathroom floor by mopping rather than flushing with water, the U-traps connected to most floor drains were dry and not functioning properly.”

Researchers found the SARS pathogen in the drain sewage. They determined the dry U-traps allowed fumes from the sewage to be released into the bathrooms through the floor drains. Apartment residents in certain sections of the complex contracted SARS when they inhaled the fumes.

Proper care for floor drains

Now that we are aware of why proper drain care is so important, we need to discuss how to accomplish it. But before we do, let’s discuss what not to do:

·        Do not ignore restroom odors. When odors develop in a restroom, facility managers and cleaning professionals often decide the best solutions are to ventilate the room and perhaps add air purifying systems. While ventilation helps and air purifiers may cover the odors, the problem of sewer odors coming from floor drains remains. Gases entering the restroom, such as hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrogen, can be harmful if inhaled in large quantities.

·        Do not pour bleach down drains. Bleach is a powerful solution that can react with other chemicals and substances, including the gases mentioned above, releasing even more harmful fumes. While the bleach may kill bacteria, it can also damage pipes. Further, it is not an environmentally friendly option. 

With what not to do out of the way, here are some steps to eliminate drain odors:

·        Check plumbing vents. All residential and commercial facilities have plumbing vents. Known as a vent stack, these vents regulate air pressure, allow fresh air into the plumbing system, and release foul air. However, these vents can become clogged. When this happens, offensive and unhealthy odors are released into
restrooms. Your plumber can help address this.

·        Check under the floor. Leaks in the drainage pipe allow soiled moisture to build up under the facility, such as in a basement. The resulting bacterial growth releases odors into
the restroom.

·        Keep your U-trap wet. We discussed earlier what can happen when a U-trap is dry. Pouring water down all floor drains every two weeks can prevent this. However, in most cases, this is a temporary fix. The trap will likely become dry again very soon. A better option is to use EverPrime. Mixed with water, EverPrime maintains a liquid seal in the U-trap that can last for months.

·        Call a plumber. If the odor persists after you take the steps above, it is probably the result of something more serious such as a damaged pipe. Drainpipes can crack due to weather extremes, tree roots, building settling, corrosion, poor design, and age. A damaged drainpipe can become blocked, preventing the sewage from being carried away to the sewer line and causing fumes to release into restrooms. Hire a licensed plumber to repair a damaged pipe or vent.

Although drains are not the most visible indicator of a clean restroom, it’s impossible to have an effective restroom care program without proper drain care. When lacking proper attention, drains
can release foul odors that are not only unpleasant but that also pose serious health risks for building users. Don’t forget the drains.

 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

 

What is a U-Trap?

A U-trap, also called a U-pipe, is shaped like the letter u. It is found under the sink of virtually all drains. It is designed to hold water, which prevents odors from being released into a restroom.

Inside France's Water Wars

France water wars

The Gist: 

After a scorching summer that climatologists called a harrowing postcard from the future, with record heat waves, wildfires, and droughts that dried up rivers, France is now embroiled in a widening battle over who should get priority to use its water and how.

 

The French government has decided to build large reservoirs around the country primarily to serve farmers during the increasingly arid spring and summer months. But what the government calls an adaptation to climate change, opponents deem it an aberration. They consider water privatization to benefit a few outdated industrial farmers.

 

Background:

While the competition for scarce water is usually associated with arid regions in the Middle East and Africa, Europe is not immune. Historically in France, farmers assume two out of ten will be drought years. "But today, ten years out of 10, we risk not being able to water our fields," says François Petorin, a French farmer who grows wheat, rapeseed, and sunflowers.

 

Happening Now:

Confrontations between farmers, the French government, and those opposed to building more reservoirs have grown increasingly ugly — a taste of the water wars predicted to worsen worldwide as temperatures rise.

Rather than forcing farmers to find less water-intensive forms of agriculture, the reservoirs will increase their water use largely to irrigate corn fields, opponents argue.

Recently, thousands of activists opposed to the latest reservoir under construction in the western region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine faced off against some 1,600 military police officers in the middle of rapeseed fields and the dried-up remains of wheat.

 

The normally picturesque countryside has been transformed into a scene from a dystopian novel where police officers wearing riot gear, armored trucks shooting tear gas canisters, and helicopters roaring overhead to control protesters. 

 

Long-term Perspective

"Difficult situations like this will likely spread around the world in the coming years," says Klaus Reichardt, CEO, and Founder of Waterless Co., Inc.  (www.waterless.com)

 

"There are no easy answers; the best way to address temporary water shortages, multi-year droughts, and aridification (a permanent climate change) is by using water more efficiently and responsibly."

 

Source: The New York Times, November 28, 2022

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/27/world/europe/france-climate-change-water-wars.html?searchResultPosition=1

 

From Waterless Co., Inc | Another Crucial Reason for Advancing Water Efficiency

Some of the Richest Farmland in the World has a Problem: There’s No Water

In America’s fruit and nut basket, water is now the most precious crop of all.

It explains why, amid a historic drought parching much of the American West, a grower of premium sushi rice has concluded that it makes better business sense to sell the water he would have used to grow rice than to grow rice.

Or why a melon farmer has left a third of his fields fallow. Or why a large landholder farther south is thinking of planting a solar array on his fields rather than the thirsty almonds that delivered steady profit for years.

“You want to sit there and say, ‘We want to monetize the water?’ No, we don’t,” said Seth Fiack, a rice grower here in Ordbend, on the banks of the Sacramento River, who this year sowed no rice and instead sold his unused water for desperate farmers farther south. “It’s not what we prefer to do, but what we need to, have to.”

These are among the signs of a massive transformation up and down California’s Central Valley, the country’s most lucrative agricultural belt, as it confronts an exceptional drought and the consequences of years of pumping far too much water out of its aquifers.

Across the state, reservoir levels are dropping, and electric grids are at risk if hydroelectric dams don’t get enough water to produce power.

Climate change is supercharging the scarcity. Rising temperatures dry out the soil, which in turn can worsen heat waves. This week, temperatures in parts of California and the Pacific Northwest have been shattering records.

By 2040, the San Joaquin Valley is projected to lose at least 535,000 acres of agricultural production. That’s more than a tenth of the area farmed. And if the drought perseveres and no new water can be found, double that amount of land is projected to go idle, with potentially dire consequences for the nation’s food supply.

California’s $50 billion agricultural sector supplies two-thirds of the country’s fruits and nuts and more than a third of America’s vegetables — the tomatoes, pistachios, grapes, and strawberries that line grocery store shelves from coast to coast.

Glimpses of that future are evident now. Vast stretches of land are fallow because there’s no water. New calculations are being made about what crops to grow, how much, and where. Millions of dollars are being spent on replenishing the aquifer that has been depleted for so long.

“Each time we have a drought, you’re seeing a little glimpse into what will happen more frequently in our climate future,” said Morgan Levy, a professor specializing in water science and policy at the University of California, San Diego.

The following is from the New York Times, October 2021

https://lnkd.in/gKDXUwJ6

#groundwater #water #scienceandenvironment #food #waterefficiency #science


My Take: More Thoughts on Waterless Urinals

Initial Benefits. A building owner or facility manager will find several early benefits to installing waterless urinals. One of the first is cost savings and it starts as soon as the urinal is installed. Waterless urinals do not have flush handles, sensory systems, or require the plumbing, piping, and incoming water lines necessary to bring water to the unit. These are often what cost the most when installing conventional urinals.

Plumbing Issues. Waterless urinals rarely require plumbing repairs. That's why you see some busy bars and restaurants have already switched to waterless urinals. The manager of one popular restaurant told me that after a busy Saturday night, it was common for at least one of the restaurant’s conventional urinals to be broken or clogged with debris. With waterless urinals, this rarely happens. Remember, there's no water used with a waterless urinal. 

Cleaning: Many cleaning professionals find waterless urinals easier to clean and maintain than conventional urinals. In most cases, a waterless urinal is cleaned using an all-purpose cleaning solution, disinfectant if necessary, and cleaning cloth. 

Because there is no water, water and rust deposits do not develop, so scrubbing is rarely necessary. And because the interior of the unit stays dry, bacteria, germs, and other contaminants rarely develop. This is more hygienic and helps protect indoor air quality because fewer germs become airborne, as we learned from the pandemic.

How to select a no-water urinal. Due diligence is required when selecting a waterless urinal. Although they look and work in similar ways, there are differences that, if overlooked, can undermine water savings and anticipated cost savings. For example, the trap/cylinders found in some models may require more frequent changing than with others, and, in some models, these trap/cylinders can be costly—as much as US$50 each. With other models, the trap/cylinder can last much longer and cost as little as $10 per unit.

 How they work The way waterless urinals work is quite simple. Instead of using water to flush away urine, gravity drains the urine into a trap cylinder that sits atop the drain area of the urinal.  The trap/cylinder is filled with a thin layer of liquid sealant, which must be re-filled a few times per year. This is a quick and easy procedure. As the urine passes through the trap/cylinder and sealant, which prevents odors from being released into the air, the urine overflows into a conventional drainpipe, much the same way a traditional urinal works.  

Eventually, the trap/cylinder unit needs to be replaced. Remember what we said earlier. On some models, these units are costly. On others, very inexpensive.

Industry trends. Every couple of years, studies about the waterless industry indicate the market’s continued growth. Historically, I treated these reports as interesting. However, today, I pay much closer attention to them. Why? Droughts in the United States and the increased focus on sustainability around the globe have generated much more interest in waterless urinals. I see this continuing.

Klaus Reichardt is CEO and founder of Waterless Co, Inc, pioneers in advancing water efficiency. Reichardt founded the company in 1991 to establish 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.

The Explainer: Why LA Still Has Water

Los Angeles water

As the drought – or aridification, a permanent change in water and climate conditions – continues in Los Angeles, most of California, along with a large part of the western half of the United States, many people have been wondering how are people living in these states managing? 

Do they still have water?

Have they been forced to make draconian cuts?

Well, here are some of the reasons LA, Phoenix, Las Vegas, San Diego, Denver, Salt Lake City, Tucson, Albuquerque, and other Western cities have managed surprisingly well over the past few, very dry years.

People are Using Less. Water consumption is declining throughout the country, but in California, it has plummeted. In 1990, per capita consumption in the state was 231 gallons per day. Thirty years later, it’s fallen to just ninety-one gallons a day, a 61 percent reduction. 

LA Planning: Los Angeles is no longer dependent on one or two water supplies. It imports the bulk of its water through a vast storage and delivery system. This includes water from the Sierra Nevada mountains in Northern California, the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers, the Colorado River, and some groundwater and recycled water.

“Los Angeles is less vulnerable [today],” according to Peter Gleick, president emeritus of the Pacific Institute, who has studied water resources for decades. “This is because they have this very broad, diverse set of options.”

But LA is not the only place doing better than expected when it comes to water. Here are some more.

Las Vegas Beat the Odds. The lion’s share of Las Vegas’ water supply comes from the Colorado River. The city of 2.4 million people and its forty million annual visitors gets 90 percent of its water from the river and 10 percent from groundwater.

However, Nevada lost 7 percent of its share of Colorado River water this year as part of cuts announced by the Bureau of Reclamation. But Las Vegas, due to extensive water conservation measures already in place, was rewarded. The city was not required to cut back further.

“It’s fair to say that Las Vegas has taken dramatic steps to reduce its dependence on Colorado River water,” said Anne Castle, a senior fellow at the Getches-Wilkinson Center for Natural Resources, Energy, and the Environment.

San Diego Turns to Desalination: San Diego gets two-thirds of its supplies from the Colorado River but has been looking for other water sources for more than 30 years.  One source they are now using is desalination.  San Diego County Water Authority gets 10 percent of its water from a $1 billion desalination plant that removes salt and impurities from seawater. The city has also reduced water consumption and cut per-person water use dramatically in the past few years.

Phoenix is Lucky. Phoenix, now the nation’s fifth largest city, relies on the Colorado River for water, but the city is lucky. It also gets water from the state’s Salt and Verde Rivers, which are nowhere as challenged as the Colorado River. Further, Phoenix uses sterilized wastewater for limited uses, like maintaining parks and recharging some aquifers with groundwater.

Arizona was the hardest hit among Western states losing Colorado River water this year, with 18% of its supply gone. Officials in Phoenix say they have enough water to weather future cuts because of diversified supplies and water saved and stored underground.

Water Marvels. Another reason these cities and states are faring far better than expected is the development of more water saving technologies.  At one time, no-water urinals were viewed as one of the few water saving technologies available to building owners and managers.

But now there are many other water “engineering marvels,” says Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles. “This is sort of the perennial story of the West.”

Why Go Waterless?

Many facilities are now considering waterless urinals because they are an effective way to reduce water consumption—making them a Green, environmentally preferable choice. Additionally, reducing water consumption saves money. Just like everything else, due to inflation, water utility costs are going up around the world.

Before 1990, the average urinal in the United States used as much as four gallons of water per flush. Today, because of legislation and increased conservation measures, conventional urinals use about one to one and a half gallons of water when flushed.

However, this is still a significant amount of water.

The average office building in the United States uses 15,000 gallons of water daily. Waterless urinals have the potential to reduce this amount significantly. Moreover, this water usage can prove to be quite detrimental in the country's most drought-prone areas, such as California and other western states.

We should also know that the cost to install and maintain waterless urinals is less than that of traditional urinals.

"The initial installation is easy and relatively inexpensive because you need only a drain line instead of both a water and a drain line," says David Rose, an architect in Troy, MI. "You also don't have to contend with additional plumbing, flush valves, sensors, and the like, which can be costly maintenance headaches."

How They Work

Waterless urinals are not new—they are more than one hundred years old. They were first installed during the early 1890s in public marketplaces in Switzerland. These early models used sesame oil to keep urine below the urinal drain to minimize odors. However, these early urinals were forgotten until the 1970s, when they were rediscovered during the "ecological movement" taking root.  

A no-water urinal works the same way as a conventional one, except without water. A traditional flush urinal has a "trap" in the drain, filled with a small amount of water that prevents odors and sewer gases from escaping.  

Waterless urinals also have a trap (or cylinder) that sits atop the drain area of the urinal. The cylinder is filled with a thin layer of liquid or sealant. Urine passes through the trap and sealant, forming a barrier that prevents odors from escaping. It also helps to eliminate the evaporation of urine, which can harm indoor air quality.  

Cleaning and Maintenance

Waterless urinals are cleaned the same way as conventional urinals, except without the need for powerful chemicals. The urinal's trap insert requires attention, and the liquid sealant must be replenished, prolonging the trap's life span and effectiveness.  

There are a few manufacturers of waterless urinals in the market today, and each uses a slightly different system, requiring different maintenance. Facility and building managers should do their homework, analyze each design, and decide which works best for their facilities. 

Potential Drawbacks

There are some drawbacks when switching to a no-water system. For instance, the cylinders (traps) used can be expensive on certain models and may need to be changed more frequently than initially thought. But this is not the case with urinals marketed by Waterless Co., Inc. 

Additionally, some facilities with few males and few urinals may not benefit from installing waterless urinals. However, there will be benefits in facilities with ten or more males.

Facilities with waterless urinals must also educate their custodial staff on how to maintain them. As mentioned earlier, abrasive and powerful cleaners used in a conventional urinal should not be used to clean a waterless urinal.  

Additionally, men must get accustomed to using waterless urinals. Using them for the first time, men usually look for a flush handle or search for an electric sensor. To end the confusion, one large Chicago office building even installed a small sign above each urinal that says, in essence, "This is a waterless urinal. No flushing is required. After use, walk away."  

Still, the economics are favorable from the beginning with waterless urinals because no-water urinals are less costly to install and maintain compared to conventional ones. "Overall, waterless urinals are an efficient and economical alternative to traditional urinals," contends Rose. 

Although the cost savings are a real value when installing waterless urinals, another significant benefit is being environmentally responsible. Facilities looking to pitch in and do their part for the environment may provide an ideal service when installing waterless urinals.

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



 
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