Reduce Water Consumption in Military Facilities – LCpl Domonic Smith

Water consumption puts a financial strain on the budget of any Regiment or Army facility around the world. The average urinal in public toilets/facilities will use 197m3 or water per year with the daily cost at £1 per urinal. Such urinals are a widespread problem especially in transit accommodation which still use large amounts of water.

So, the course of action to reduce the effects of water consumption would be to replace/retrofit convention urinals in public toilets/facilities with water less urinals as this would drastically reduce the finical/ecological cost of said urinals.

This would be a routine change as there is not a major change to the system. So, it could be a transition period.

Water less urinals after initial cost of fitting and cartridge refills the cost go down as there is no use of water while any other cost of the conversion i.e., alternate cleaner and replacement sealant can be obtained at similar cost to previous cleaning products but in toilets that are not used regularly will not require to have the sealant topped up as the sealant only dissipates with use.  As previously stated, the cost a traditional urinal roughly is £1 a day.  Imagine how many public toilets could save £365 a year and this is if the water rate stays low.

Impact to the environment is lessened as there is less water needed which has a knock-on effect so less energy needed to produce clean water small carbon footprint. There is not a need for harmful chemicals such as bleach to be used in the cleaning process. This could make the effects of drought weaken.

These urinals improve hygiene by not having Constant presence of urine in the base of the bowl which increases bacteria, the urine odour can be made worse by water flushing urinals as flush can dispel urine into the air. Water flushing urinals are prone to blockages as materials can build up in the pipes which leads to more cost and inconvenience especially in hard water areas where limescale builds up quickly.

The waterless urinal works by letting the urine into the drain insert then the urine will pass through a floating layer of trapping liquid which stops the odour by using gravity as well as the trap liquid has a lower density which allows the urine to pass through it. The urine then drains away down the wastage pipes.

There are several designs when it comes to waterless urinals with different levels of efficiency and can be retro fitted to the existing urinal and pipework.

Although there are some differences depending on the manufacturer, cleaning a waterless urinal follows most of the same steps and procedures as a conventional urinal:

• Wear suitable PPE (gloves and goggles) to clean any restroom fixture.
• Remove any foreign objects in the urinal. The trap is designed to prevent larger objects from entering the drain area.
• Do not use abrasive cleaners, towels, or brushes.
• Spray all urinal surfaces with a neutral or all-purpose cleaner, or a sponge with water and cleaner on all surfaces.
• Allow for time to pass (if indicated by the chemical manufacturer).
• Wipe clean with a soft sponge dipped in a bucket of clean water, or a cleaning cloth.
• Dry the surfaces with a soft cloth.
• Do not pour excess or soiled water down the waterless urinal trap – it can flush the sealant out of the trap insert.

In most cases, cleaning professionals are asked to handle the trap’s maintenance. Although maintenance requirements may differ depending on the product, they usually involve replenishing the liquid sealant and/or replacing the cylinder as necessary. The cylinder on some waterless urinals lasts several months and may only need to be changed 2 to 4 times per year. To replace the cylinder:

• Use the metal tool provided by the manufacturer to remove the trap.
• Insert it into the trap, gently pulling it out using a back-and-forth motion.
• Drain any excess liquids from the cylinder down the drain; discard in an appropriate manner.
• With the trap removed, pour a bucket of (preferably) hot water down the drain to flush any sediment in the line.
• Insert a new trap, add about 340ml of water, and fill with 85ml of sealant.
• For some manufacturers, the trap cannot be replaced, and the trap needs to be taken apart and cleaned.
• Always refer to the manufacturers guide for clear instructions on the system you are using.