Valley's male students first noticed the handles were missing on their urinals about a year ago. Old habits sometimes die hard, but a urinal that looks like a urinal, with the exception of a handle for flushing, appears to have been a simple transition for the men of Valley.
"It's no big deal," said Valley student Zachary Paul. "One day they were normal flush, the next day not."
Most waterless urinals on the market today use a trap, or cartridge, filled with a sealing fluid through which the waste flows. The new design eliminates the plumbing code requirement for a water-filled trap and the flush of water required to prime the trap.
"We tried different urinals to see how well they worked before we decided on the ones we have," said Jim Taylor, plumbing supervisor. "We didn't like the ones that used cartridges. If they got stuck, it looked like they'd come out suddenly and splash on a person. In the ones we have now, you just add the sealing liquid periodically to refill the trap. It's safer."
In water-starved California, water conservation has become a major environmental issue, adding to the demand for waterless urinals.
"We installed 99 waterless urinals and this was completed January 2009," said Tom Lopez, director of campus facilities. "Each urinal is estimated to save 40,000 gallons per year. We don't save any money by doing this, but we do conserve on our water consumption." Nonetheless, Valley students approve of the change.
"Water conservation is valid," said Paul. "We've been in a drought for a long time. If these new urinals can save water – better used for drinking, bathing, or irrigation – they're a good thing."
There may be other issues with the use of the new urinals as time goes by.
"We're concerned they may add salts deep inside our plumbing pipes over time," said Taylor. "It's still too soon to tell. We're not sold on them, but we'll give them the benefit of the doubt for now."
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