water-less urinals 1 martin wafler, seecon international gmbh

Water-less Urinals

Water-less Urinals

1

Martin Wafler, seecon international gmbh

Water-less Urinals

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Contents

1. Water-less urinals with rubber tube seal

2. Water-less urinals with curtain valve seal

3. Water-less urinals with sealant liquid

4. “Eco-Lily”

5. How it can optimise SSWM

6. Applicability

7. Advantages and disadvantages

8. References

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Concept (adapted from GTZ 2009; http://www.gtz.de/en/dokumente/gtz2009-en-technology-review-urine-diversion.pdf)

1. Water-less urinals with rubber tube seal

Rubber tube sealSource: M. Wafler (2006)

• Uses a rubber tube that is flat at the bottom when not in use (and hence blocks odour from the sewer or urine storage tank) but opens up when urine is flowing through.

• This one-way valve allows passage of grit up to 2 mm.

• Urine precipitates (“urine stone”), which stick to the rubber tube need to be cleaned off with water regularly (otherwise the flat rubber tube does not close properly anymore).

• The rubber tube needs to be replaced around once a year.

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2. Water-less urinals with curtain valve seal

Working principal of water-less urinal with curtain valve sealSource: BACHMANN (2009). http://www.membran-ventile.ch/ [Accessed 31.05.2010]

• similar to the rubber tube seal, but designed to reduce maintenance requirements

• has “self-cleaning properties” as a small pressure difference forces the urine to wet the whole inner surface between the “curtains”, therefore flushing them clean

• For replacement of the curtain (if simple cleaning is no longer possible), the entire plastic casing is removed with a small plastic extractor tool (without having to touch the element by hand), then discarded and replaced with a new unit

Curtain

„Ki-Valve“

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3. Water-less urinals with sealant liquid

Working principal of water-less urinal with sealant liquidSource: SINAQUA (2007). http://www.sinaqua.de/ [Accessed 31.05.2010]

• works with a biodegradable sealant liquid (also called blocking fluid) which is made of vegetable oils or aliphatic alcohols

• The sealant liquid, with a specific gravity of around 0.8, floats on top of the urine contained in the trap and thus constitutes an effective odour barrier

• Urine immediately penetrates the sealant liquid and flows to the drain.

• Urine precipitates are collected in a cartridge or inner cylinder of the trap.

• The maintenance program of waterless urinals with a sealant liquid consists of cleaning of the urinal bowl, and the regular exchange of the cartridge (or the sealant liquid)

Sealant

Urine To DrainSedimentation-chamber

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4. “Eco-Lily”

Working principal of water-less urinal with sealant liquidSource: SUSTAINABLE SANITATION (2009); http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3244/2957045465_aab1858c0f.jpg

• Simple, low-cost option• Plastic funnel is inserted into the

opening of a plastic jerrycan• An old light bulb or a table tennis ball

is placed into the funnel to act as odour seal

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5. How it can optimise SSWM

Water-less urinals can help in optimizing your local water management and sanitation system and make it more sustainable by:

•Reducing consumption of water (no flushing after urination)•Allowing for neat collection of urine for reuse as liquid

fertilizer (after hygienisation)

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6. Applicability

Water-less urinals are mainly installed (adapted from GTZ 2009):

•At heavily frequented places such as stadiums, road side stops, stadiums, public facilities, schools, etc.,

•But also household that opt to collect neat urine for reuse

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Water-less urinals with rubber tube seal

Advantages:

•can be cleaned many times before having to be replaced

Disadvantages:

•rubber material is sensitive to solvents, acids, and deodorising tablets often used in urinals


Disadvantages:

•Not yet manufactured locally in developing countries

Water-less urinals with curtain valve seal

Advantages:

•“self-cleaning properties” flushing the “curtains” clean

•can be cleaned many times before having to be replaced

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Disadvantages:

•Accumulating urine precipitates eventually render the trap inoperative

•Foreign objects, such as cigarette stubs, accelerate the process

•Some sealant liquid cartridges cannot be cleaned but need to be replaced when they fail

Water-less urinals with sealant liquid


Advantages:

•May be refilled with tick cooking oil (this does not last as long as the recommended liquid, but is available almost everywhere)

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Disadvantages:

•light bulb/table tennis ball can end up sticking to the funnel

•metal cap on the light bulb contains heavy metals which can contaminate the urine (disadvantage of the light bulb over the plastic ball)

“Eco-Lily”


Advantages:

•Low-cost

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8. References

BACHMANN (2009). URL: http://www.membran-ventile.ch/ [Accessed 31.05.2010]

GTZ (2009). Urine Diversion Components – Technology Review. URL: http://www.gtz.de/en/dokumente/gtz2009-en-technology-review-urine-diversion.pdf [Accessed 31.05.2010]

AQUA (2007). URL: http://www.sinaqua.de/ [Accessed 31.05.2010]

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water-less urinals 1 martin wafler, seecon international gmbh

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