Waterless urinals - trickle-down economics

The City of Cape Town has a plan to stop precious water from being flushed down the toilet - waterless urinals.

Waterless urinals were recently installed in Parow and Goodwood. The plan has worked so well that the city's water and sanitation department aim to make the urinals a standard fixture in city-owned buildings and at beach facilities .

The city believes replacing 5000 flushing urinals with waterless alternatives should save 20 million litres of water a year.

Mayoral committee member Ernest Sonnenberg said: "Not only will the city record huge water savings, these devices also require significantly less maintenance than the automatic flushing urinals and they have a longer lifespan, thereby contributing to the efficient use of the city's human and financial resources."

The waterless urinals utilise downward pressure and a rubber tube that clamps shut to eliminate odours.

About a litre of clean water is used every day to rinse the basin.

Flushing urinals use half a litre of water to flush and most are set to flush twice an hour for 12 hours every day.

Sonnenberg has urged the private sector to use this technology as much as possible.

He said: "Working together we can significantly improve our water footprint."

According to the UN: "Demand for fresh water and energy will continue to increase significantly over the coming decades.

"This increase will present big challenges and strain resources in nearly all regions, especially in developing and emerging economies."

According to the Washington Post, the Staples Centre in Los Angeles - hosts of the NBA Lakers and Clippers - saves more than 26 million litres of water a year and the Bank of America Tower in New York saves almost 13 million litres annually by using water-free urinals.

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