Urinal Fixtures Introduction

The National Standard

The U.S. national standard for urinals mandates a maximum flush volume of 1.0-gallons (3.8-liters) and has been adopted into Federal law through the Environmental Policy Act of 1992 (EPAct 92).  Yet, urinals flushing at significantly less water volume – or no water at all - have existed in the marketplace for at least 15 years.

Technologies

Different types of flushing urinals have existed in North America for many years with little technological change. In the early 1990s, however, the introduction of the first non-water urinal in North America changed the perspective of water efficiency advocates. Similarly, other urinal technologies have likewise surfaced that individually save almost as much water as the non-water design.

Non-Water Urinals

Since their introduction, hundreds of thousands of non-water urinals have been installed here in North America, savings millions of gallons/litres of water each year. At the same time, the number of manufacturers with non-water urinals in their product line has grown substantially.

The non-water urinal is not without controversy, however, and the need for further research is clearly evident. Issues of maintenance requirements (labor and materials), questions about the life expectancy of the liquid seal (or cartridge), concerns over build-up of urine solids in the drainlines behind these fixtures, the undefined environmental impacts of disposed chemicals and cartridges, and, finally, issues with the economics or cost-effectiveness of non-water urinals all seem to argue in favor of more research on these important topics.  Such research has begun.

Flushing Urinals

While non-water urinals offer the complete elimination of flush valves and water use, other high-efficiency technologies have made their appearance in the marketplace. Today, manufacturers are developing and refining urinal models that flush at 0.5-gpf (1.9-liters) and below, some with as little as 1-pint of water (0.5-liters).

High-Efficiency Urinals (HEUs)

With the market success of non-water urinals, coupled with the array of models flushing at 0.5-gpf and less, a new category of urinal fixtures has been defined, the High-Efficiency Urinal (HEU). The HEU is defined as a fixture that functions at 0.5-gpf/1.9-lpf or less. (NOTE: The HEU category includes non-water urinal fixtures.)

A number of informative documents relating to the various urinal technologies are available for free download:

A.  HEUs–An Up-To-Date Listing of High Efficiency Urinal Models - Check this list of the HEUs currently being offered in the marketplace.  NOTE: This list will be periodically updated as new models are introduced or older models are dropped from product lines. Manufacturers are asked to notify us when new HEU models become available, providing specification sheets and other pertinent technical information.

B.  Koeller, J. (2005) Potential Best Management Practice Report HETs and HEUs - HEUs as a Best Management Practice? This document provides an analysis of the installed base of commercial urinals in California was completed as part of an assessment of HEUs being considered for Potential Best Management Practice (PBMP) status. This 2005 report examines the potential water savings that might result from implementing various program scenarios directed at replacing some or all of the existing installed base and/or focusing on new construction.

C.  Demiriz, M. (2006) Application of Dry Urinals Study Report - The highly disputed “German study” of non-water urinals.  In 2004-2005, Dr. Mete Demiriz of Gelsenkirchen University of Applied Sciences in Gelsenkirchen Germany completed a study of dry (non-water) urinals in the University’s very extensive laboratory facilities dedicated to plumbing technologies. When the study report and presentation were reviewed by water efficiency advocates and by plumbing system professionals in North America, it set off alarms. Those alarms were related to the build-up of solids in the drainlines behind the non-water urinals. The findings of the study were disputed, the reasoning being that plumbing codes and other conditions in Germany are not identical to those in North America.  As such, many reviewers felt that study findings could not be applied here.

If you download and review the study report and accompanying presentation, you are encouraged to also read the refuting technical response offered by Falcon Waterfree Technologies and the two other reviews as well.

All 5 documents may be downloaded here:

- Demiriz, M. (2006) Application of Dry Urinals Study Report
- Demiriz, M. (2006) Dry Urinal Study Presentation
- Falcon Company (2007) Dry Urinal Study Response
- Koeller, J. (2007) Dry Urinal Study Review
- Pape, T. (2007) Dry Urinal Study Review 

E.  PNNL (2002) Urinal Odor Study - Odor Test for Urinal Fixtures.  One of the issues brought forth by the opponents of non-water urinals is odor. Of course, all urinal fixtures will yield odors if not cleaned or maintained properly. Furthermore, odors frequently result from a lack of cleaning of the floor surfaces beneath the urinal as well. Unfortunately, in most cases, odors have been unfairly attributed to the non-water urinal technology when the real cause may lie elsewhere.  Several studies of odors from urinal installations have been completed in the last six years. The PNNL study provides important information from an independent source on this subject.

F.  International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) Uniform Plumbing Code Hearing Appeal Rulings on Non-Water Urinals (2005)
At an IAPMO Standards Council appeals hearing held at IAPMO on November 17, 2005, arguments were heard against several actions taken by the prior Technical Meeting in September on the Uniform Plumbing Code.  Those actions would prohibit the installation of non-water urinals. The rulings resulting from those appeals to the IAPMO Standards Council are provided in four letters:
- IAPMO (2005) Non Water Urinals Appeal Ruling Letter 1
- IAPMO (2005) Non Water Urinals Appeal Ruling Letter 2
- IAPMO (2005) Non Water Urinals Appeal Ruling Letter 3
- IAPMO (2005) Non Water Urinals Appeal Ruling Letter 4

G.  ASME (2006) Vitreous China Nonwater Urinals Standard - Plumbing Standard for Vitreous China Non-Water Urinals.  ASME/ANSI A112.19.19-2006 was approved by the American National Standards Institute in September 2006. This (copyrighted) standard is published by ASME, and can be ordered via this website.