 High-Efficiency
Flushing Urinals
Approximately 80 percent of the estimated 12 million urinals in
the United States are old and inefficient. While the current federal
standard for commercial urinals is 1.0 gallon per flush (gpf ),
some older urinals use as much as five times that amount! WaterSense,
a partnership program sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, will soon be able to help facility managers and specifiers
take a stand for water efficiency with urinals that use only half
a gallon per flush.
The WaterSense Label
EPA’s draft water-efficient flushing urinals specification
is the WaterSense program’s first foray into commercial products.
To date, WaterSense has released specifications for high-efficiency
toilets and bathroom sink faucets. The WaterSense label, pictured
above, identifies products that have been independently tested and
certified to meet EPA’s criteria for both water efficiency
and performance. Once EPA receives public comments and finalizes
this draft specification, flushing urinals will be eligible to earn
the WaterSense label.
Savings With Every Flush
 Once
available, WaterSense labeled urinals will help reduce water use
in commercial and institutional restrooms while helping to preserve
the nation’s water resources. WaterSense plans to set criteria
for high-efficiency flushing urinals that use no more than 0.5 gpf
and comply with existing standards for flushing urinals.To ensure adequate performance, urinals must also be tested
for trap seal restoration and flush effectiveness before they can
earn the WaterSense label. Replacing just one older, inefficient
urinal that uses 1.5 gpf with a WaterSense labeled model could save
a facility approximately 4,600 gallons of water per year. Nationwide,
if all older, inefficient urinals were replaced, we could save nearly
45 billion gallons annually. That’s enough water to supply
more than 450,000 households for a year!
Look for the Label in 2009
Whether looking to reduce water use in a new facility or to replace
old, inefficient fixtures in men’s restrooms, builders, designers,
managers, and other specifiers will soon be able to look for the
WaterSense label to identify high-performing, water-efficient urinals.
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