Whether you’re working on a LEED project or just trying to conserve resources; waterless urinals can go a long way toward saving water, but they may not be right for every project. Some things to consider when looking at waterless urinals are:

What is the maintenance schedule of the facility? Waterless urinals can be a good choice for restaurants or similar facilities that clean their restrooms daily.  Odors can be a concern for facilities like offices which may be on a less frequent cleaning schedule.

Also, we would want to consider the goals of the building owner. There is no doubt that waterless urinals conserve resources, but they may not present a long term savings to the owner.  The cost of replacement cartridges can offset the cost of the water saved. In addition, waterless urinals utilize replaceable cartridges that must be disposed of, but currently the used cartridges are considered hazardous waste and cannot be recycled. They are typically discarded in the trash and ultimately may end up in landfills.

As with any new technology, care must be taken when designing systems using waterless urinals. Urinals deal with a highly acidic waste.  This has not been a problem in the past since the acid is diluted by water, but take away the water and this can spell trouble when coupled with metallic pipes.  The acid can aggressively corrode the pipes causing leaks and damage in nearly new buildings.

So are waterless urinals a bad idea? Not at all, they are perfectly suitable depending on the type of business or facility.  And for the rest, there are a myriad of water saving choices available.  ½ gallon per flush units are commonly available with ¼ gallon and even 1 pint per flush available from some manufacturer’s.  As the building designers, it’s our job to understand an owner’s needs and help ensure they have the best fit for their project.