Visitors to the men’s bathroom in Bessey Hall might find themselves scratching their heads and wondering what to do - the urinals that men have grown accustomed to are gone.
In place of the usual porcelain receptacles are three unassuming bowls with no connections or handles anywhere near them. They may look a little funny, but they’re serving the same purpose that their pipe-laden predecessors did.
Waterless urinals have been around for a few years now, but this is the first time they’ve made their way onto campus.
“They’re weird, but I didn’t notice any difference,” said Mike Gray, a civil engineering senior.
The idea is to provide the same thing as a urinal and standard plumbing, said James Krug, president of Falcon Waterfree Technologies, the company that manufactures the urinals.
“Urine is basically sterile,” Krug said. “It’s only when you add water to urine that you end up with bacteria. It’s the same thing with smell, when you add water, it creates ammonia gas.”
The urinals, which were installed during winter break, function by trapping urine in a cartridge filled with a sealant liquid, preventing both urine and any possible odors from escaping.
On average, the new urinals save about 40,000 gallons of water per urinal per year. Company officials say the urinals can save up to $700 on water and sewage costs. The urinals cost between $180 and $330.
Launched in Europe in 1999, the urinals replaced facilities in places such as Heathrow Airport in London and Dusseldorf University in Germany. Since their U.S. release in March 2001, they’ve found a home in all kinds of venues, like Safeco Field in Seattle,Indiana University, Pennsylvania State University and the Pentagon.
“They’ve actually been very well-received,” Krug said. “From a facilities standpoint, maintenance people find them to be a much easier product to maintain and clean. From a public standpoint, people are so used to the infrared flush now that they’re not really expecting to flush anyway.”
The system increases hygiene by preventing contact with people who don’t wash their hands.
“It’s better than having to put your hand on it,” said general management senior Doug Gordon.
The new urinals were installed because a group of maintenance workers in the Physical Plant decided waterless urinal technology had grown to a point that it was feasible to use.
Gus Gosselin, maintenance department manager, said Bessey Hall’s first-floor men’s bathroom was outfitted because the old pipe system could not support individual flushes.
“It also eliminates an odor problem, because many people were shy about reaching to the middle when using one of the side urinals, so they weren’t getting flushed when they needed to,” Gosselin said.
Bessey Hall, the Biomedical and Physical Science Building, the Physical Plant and any new construction projects will have the urinals.
“It’s the ultimate low-tech,” Krug said. “It just works and saves oodles of money, they’re more hygienic, and it’s a really neat product.”
