Conservation is the watchword today. It is said that prevention is better than cure and therefore conservation is an ideal mode of prevention. With the natural resources fast depleting alongside the rapidly growing population, it becomes imperative that we do our bit in conservation. Water conservation tops the list of the resources needing conservation and it is not hard to see why. Of all the water on earth, only 2.75 percent is fresh water and 2.05 percent of fresh water is frozen in glaciers! We thus have access only to 0.70 percent of all that water on earth to support the needs of the thirsty billions.
The least that we can do is to do away with the inefficient, water guzzling urinals and loos. Flushing away fresh water is one of the most sinful ways of water wastage considering that millions do not get fresh potable water even to drink!
The need to conserve water instead of flushing it becomes more imperative since water recycling methods like reverse osmosis have proved slow and non economical. And so, we have different urinals that conserve water based on intelligent design, advanced technology or innovate concepts.
1. Desert Eco Adapt Advanced Urinal Cartridge
How does one save water? By simply avoiding its use altogether! With great creativity and elegance, Outerspace Design has arrived at this waterless, and yes, hold your breath ( you need not actually), odorless urinal for Desert Ecosystems Pty Ltd. Each unit saves an estimated 150,000L of fresh potable water per year and has a reusable, plastic urinal cartridge which has a life of five years. This translates as great water saving combined with hassle free servicing of the urinals and minimum plastic waste going into ever-growing landfills. The longevity of the urinal cartridge also implies lesser CO2 emissions from their manufacture. With a built in U bent odor lock which is hydraulically flushed at intervals, this waterless urinal flushes away fears of stench and bad odor in the washrooms.
2. Eco urinal
Presenting the winner of the 2010 iF Concept Design Award from International Forum Design, it’s a design that reduces both water consumption and effort. This is based on gray water utilization which in simple terms means using ‘waste water’ to fill in a water need. This elegant design serves as a sink-urinal combo so that you wash your hands in situ, immediately after the ‘job’ and this sink water is used to flush the loo. Water is thus conserved by reduction of a flush cycle.
3. Lee Isherwoodâs ONDA
This is another design using the same concept as the eco urinal – gray water utilization and thus saving fresh water. This unit easily fits any corner or wall and has a natural curvy design within to maximize flushing efficiency. The in-built hand wash at the top, drains water into the urinal halving its consumption. It also has a neatly designed, low profile dome within that reduces the splash-back during the job!
4. Omnia architecture greengain
The Omnia architecture stands as an example of the ‘whole’ being greater than the ‘sum of parts’. Developed by Villeroy & Boch with Viega, the design saves water at different places to effectively provide a “more than 40%” savings. It provides a high flushing performance though it features adjustment options for an economical 4.5 liter flush or the normal 6 liter flush. Add to this the DIN 90/80 drainage pipe which further economizes the flushing-water volume. Thus, you save about 1.5 liters of water in every flush.
5. Enmatic urinal
From Down Under, Australia, we have a masterpiece of technological innovation. Enware Australia Pty Ltd has arrived at this innovative urinal that uses as little as one liter of water for flushing needs. However, the urinal has a built in smart demand flushing system which is activated either by infrared sensor, concealed microwave sensor or the Piezo touch button. As per the need, the flushing volume varies from 1-2.5 liters. This system also reduces odors and excessive use of water for cleaning and maintenance requirements. The units are fabricated with motion detect sensors and adjustable shut-off valves and filters. Those with the Piezo touch button activation feature a slim 30mm touch button which is vandal-resist.