Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Why should we install waterless urinals?

  • By Klaus Reichardt
  • 10/01/19

Determining the need for waterless urinals depends on the number of males using the building. Also, if new construction or a restroom renovation is involved. If new construction, there are few reasons not to install no-water urinals. If a retrofit, and 10 or fewer males use the facility, the return on the investment may not prove worthwhile at this time. But with rising water and sewer rates, reconsideration may be necessary at a future date.

When looking at installation and maintenance costs, no-water urinals usually cost less to install than traditional fixtures because no flush valves or water lines are involved. Overall, the return on investment can vary, depending on the number of users, water and sewer rates, and the age of the urinals. Waterless urinals range in price from $250 to $500 per unit. In most cases, the return on investment is about two years or less.

If you are concerned with odor issues, most waterless urinals have cartridges installed in the base of the fixture. Filled with barrier fluids, these cylinders suppress odors and block vapors. Proper cleaning will help prevent odors. Be aware that some cartridges are costly and must be replaced fairly often, but others are relatively inexpensive and last longer. Investigate the different systems available before selecting your waterless urinals.

Also, if sustainability is an objective, installing waterless urinals can earn you LEED points. The LEED rating system offers up to five points (out of approximately 32 required) toward certification for buildings that incorporate measures to reduce water usage. Installing waterless urinals is often one of the easiest and most significant ways to accomplish this.

This article originally appeared in the College Planning & Management October 2019 issue of Spaces4Learning.

About the Author

A frequent speaker and author on water conservation issues, Klaus Reichardt is founder and CEO of Waterless Co. Inc.(www.waterless.com), based in Vista, CA. Reichardt founded the company in 1991 with the goal to establish a new market segment in the plumbing fixture industry with water efficiency in mind. The company manufactures restroom and plumbing-related products.

Featured

  • Designing for Every Mind

    Learning environments have the power to shape not just what students know, but who they become. When a school is designed with genuine empathy—for the full range of ways students think, sense, and engage with the world—it becomes more than a building. It becomes a catalyst for growth, confidence, and belonging. That is the animating idea behind neurodiverse design, and it is one that is transforming how more architects and designers are thinking about school design.

  • Virginia Tech Tops Out New College of Engineering Building

    Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., recently celebrated the topping out of Mitchell Hall, which will soon stand as the largest College of Engineering building on campus, according to a news release. The university partnered with Skanska on the 285,500-square-foot facility, which has an expected completion date of winter 2028.

  • Q&A: How to Prevent Kitchen Grease Fires in Commercial Kitchens

    School cafeterias and university dining halls serve thousands of meals daily, relying on high-heat equipment like fryers, grills, and ovens. While these operations keep students fed, they also generate significant grease-laden vapors. Without proper controls, this grease becomes a silent fire threat. As a certified exhaust cleaning specialist and business coach who has helped hundreds of institutional facilities achieve NFPA 96 compliance, I emphasize that proactive grease management isn’t optional; it’s a core fire/life safety practice.

  • Tomball ISD Opens New Tomball West High School

    Tomball Independent School District in Tomball, Texas, recently celebrated the official opening of Tomball West High School, the district's third comprehensive high school, with a community ribbon-cutting ceremony, according to a district news release.