Atlanta schools moving to waterless urinals
Forsyth schools moving to waterless urinals
System expects to save 45,000 gallons of water per day
By NANCY BADERTSCHER
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 10/24/07
Forsyth County school officials have decided waterless urinals are the only way to go.
Each waterless urinal is equipped with an odor-sealing trap that has to be replaced once or twice a year.
They've done the math: 30,000 students, half of them boys, take an average of two bathroom breaks a day and send 1.5 gallons of water down the drain with every flush.
And they've figured out they can save 45,000 gallons of water a day by going with the technology that some busy ballparks and restaurants have been using for a decade. "We've not found any downside," said Robert Sewell, director of facilities and operations for Forsyth County Public Schools.
Seven schools in the county already have waterless urinals in the boys' restrooms. Another 426 urinals in the system's 21 other schools will be replaced between now and January.
It'll cost about $350 to put in each new urinal and cap off its water line. Each waterless urinal is equipped with an odor-sealing trap that has to be replaced once or twice a year, Sewell said.
The school system - which has budgeted $615,000 this year for water and sewer service - should save enough water in less than a year to offset the costs, he said. Sewer fees also are expected to be less, because less will be going down the drain, Sewell said.
This year, because of the drought, school kitchens have temporarily shifted from plastic to paper trays and from silverware to plastic utensils to cut down on dish washing, spokeswoman Jennifer Caracciolo said.
"We are not only doing our part as the largest employer in the county, but we are also practicing what we teach to students."
More on ajc.com
note: Forsyth County is a big metro county 40 miles north of downtown Atlanta.--AG
System expects to save 45,000 gallons of water per day
By NANCY BADERTSCHER
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 10/24/07
Forsyth County school officials have decided waterless urinals are the only way to go.
Each waterless urinal is equipped with an odor-sealing trap that has to be replaced once or twice a year.
They've done the math: 30,000 students, half of them boys, take an average of two bathroom breaks a day and send 1.5 gallons of water down the drain with every flush.
And they've figured out they can save 45,000 gallons of water a day by going with the technology that some busy ballparks and restaurants have been using for a decade. "We've not found any downside," said Robert Sewell, director of facilities and operations for Forsyth County Public Schools.
Seven schools in the county already have waterless urinals in the boys' restrooms. Another 426 urinals in the system's 21 other schools will be replaced between now and January.
It'll cost about $350 to put in each new urinal and cap off its water line. Each waterless urinal is equipped with an odor-sealing trap that has to be replaced once or twice a year, Sewell said.
The school system - which has budgeted $615,000 this year for water and sewer service - should save enough water in less than a year to offset the costs, he said. Sewer fees also are expected to be less, because less will be going down the drain, Sewell said.
This year, because of the drought, school kitchens have temporarily shifted from plastic to paper trays and from silverware to plastic utensils to cut down on dish washing, spokeswoman Jennifer Caracciolo said.
"We are not only doing our part as the largest employer in the county, but we are also practicing what we teach to students."
More on ajc.com
note: Forsyth County is a big metro county 40 miles north of downtown Atlanta.--AG
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'Bout time! Heck, we just go outside! 0 -
Yep, outside is safer...first kid to get a disease from backspatter from unwashed urinal surfaces will wish he had just pissed on the bushes.
Someone will make this a Sexual Discrimination case...0 -
I read the website I "googled" for waterless urinals...
Here is my take...
These things may work in principal but ain't no way they gonna be clean.
the crux of the matter is that the urine is heaver than a substance that floats in the trap. The urine falls through this goo and down the drain...basically.
what happens to the spatter?
I am reserving judgement and ...I hope it works
that's a lot of water saved0 -
not like high school kids flush anyway...
they're almost as bad as frat boys [xx(]0 -
quote:Originally posted by KSUmarksman
not like high school kids flush anyway...
they're almost as bad as frat boys [xx(]
Many men in our office building never flush either, they just walk away. Disgusting.0 -
I feel sorry for the poor puke that has to replace that odor sealing trap for $7.55 an hour and picking the gum out of the urinal. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by ObiWan
I feel sorry for the poor puke that has to replace that odor sealing trap for $7.55 an hour and picking the gum out of the urinal.
no problemo senor0 -
First Question: do they really work?
Second Question: Do they really "save water" or do they just make us feel good?
After all, let's look at the Big Picture: water is a global system. I flush my toilet in Wyoming, Denver gets more water. Denver flushes, and St. Louis gets it. And so on down the line.
Bottom line: waterless urinals screw Mexico and New Orleans.0 -
Third question. Will they even be installed soon enough to save what little water is left? 0 -
I guess it would be safer than a gas fired toilet... 0 -
quote:Originally posted by gunnut505
'Bout time! Heck, we just go outside!
At the AGR fraternity house in Southern Illinois Unviersity (an agriculture fraternity), there is ahure dead spot on the grass outside the bac door. I'll let you guess why.0 -
Air force acadamy is installing them in some of the common areas where restroom traffic is the highest. the only problem they have had with them is that the cleaning staff keeps fluching them with a 5 gallon bucket washing the chemical that keeps the smell down out.
their are also thinking about replacing the gutter urinals in the stadium with them.0
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