mind are touch-free hand dryers and water-less urinals. Waterless urinals are often only men-tioned in an environmental context, where both the immense water savings — 40,000 gallons or more per urinal, per year — and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions reduction — up to 720 pounds of CO 2 per urinal, per year — are cited. There is a common misconception that waterless urinals are not as hygienic as their flush urinal counterparts. However, waterless urinal systems actu-ally reduce odors and contribute to a clean-er, more sanitary restroom. A few facts demonstrate why: ■ Urine is essentially odorless. Urine odor primarily results from the reac-tion of urine with water and air. Without water, the bowl quickly dries between uses and produces no detectable odor. ■ Dr. Michael Hoffman, professor of envi-ronment science and dean of gradu-ate studies at the California Institute of Technology, concluded in an inde-pendent study that, “The dual barrier system provided in waterless urinals are predicted to be 500 times more effective against the back migration of sewer gases as compared to conven-tional P-trap water barriers.” ■ Bacteria and viruses thrive on moist surfaces, and the wet surface of a flush urinal is a breeding ground for their growth. Flushing doesn’t kill bacteria and viruses — worse, the flush creates a plume that spreads bacteria and viruses to every surface in the restroom. Dr. Charles Gerba, professor of environmental micro-biology at the University of Arizona explains, “Waterless urinals offer a major improvement in public sanitation. Flushing is eliminated, which greatly reduces the almost continuous pro-duction of microbial aerosols, and the surface and sides of urinals are drier, which reduces the survival of human disease-carrying microorganisms and prevents their growth.” According to the American Journal of Infection Control , bacteria, such as those that cause the influenza virus, can thrive and linger on surfaces for up to 72 hours. As a result, mechanical flush urinals con-tain more bacteria and microorganisms than touchless urinals. The touchless feature of waterless urinals can help reduce the risk of cross-contam-ination because users aren’t required to crank or pull a lever that may harbor more bacteria. Similar to flush urinals, waterless urinals require minimum maintenance to ensure a clean, user-friendly experience. Simply spray the urinal with a mild, man-ufacturer-approved cleaner and wipe clean as you would with a flush urinal. Because there’s no water, there will be no lime scale or calcite buildup, which makes cleaning fast and easy. With waterless urinals, building owners and facility managers can rest assured that their restroom will be cleaner and their patron’s experience will be both hands-free and hygienic. Jane Applegate would approve; so does the environment. CM Circle Product Information no. 217 on page 32 www.cmmonline.com 35
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